


Blue Clouds and Nascent Whirlwinds

by Roserado



Series: Blue Clouds [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Earth C (Homestuck), F/F, M/M, Multi, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Female John Egbert, this is gonna be a little more intense than the last one so just beware of that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 92,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roserado/pseuds/Roserado
Summary: Your name is JUNE EGBERT, and you are dying. You are unsure what the exact cause of it is, and you're too afraid to talk to your friends about this for fear of undoing everything you've been working so hard for.AKA: June Egbert has a very emotional week.
Relationships: Calliope/Roxy Lalonde, Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, June Egbert/Kanaya Maryam, June Egbert/Rose Lalonde, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam, Terezi Pyrope/Vriska Serket
Series: Blue Clouds [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036950
Comments: 40
Kudos: 68





	1. Prologue

The corkboard stares back at you, presenting the same information it did the last ten times you looked at it. The pictures you've stuck on it, the lines connecting faces and places of people you know. It almost feels like it's mocking you for even trying to guess at the underlying causes of what your reality will become.

There is one thing you are certain of, however. One particular constant that you can count on, which might be your key to figuring this whole mess out. It is, for all intents and purposes, a bad thing. Maybe the worst thing. But you're going to have to get around it if you want to avoid the terrible outcome that you have so far failed at averting.

Your name is JUNE EGBERT, and you are dying. You are unsure what the exact cause of it is, and you're too afraid to talk to your friends about this for fear of undoing everything you've been working so hard for. You do know, however, how to measure how closer you are to your death.

You have had sporadic coughing fits for the past four months or so, and they have been slowly getting worse. At first, it was easy to ignore them. You could laugh it off and get back to whatever you were doing before your lungs were struck by invisible, choking fire. But lately, they have started to leave behind aftereffects.

Your lungs will be weakened for a few dozen minutes to half an hour after an attack now, and sometimes you feel sick, like you ate something that didn't agree with you. It only became clear a few days ago that the reason for that was the blood that came out of your throat usually drained to your stomach, instead of being expelled onto the ground. 

Their frequency has been increasing as well. It used to barely be a weekly occurrence, and now there is scarcely a day that goes by where you don't have a coughing fit interrupt you. Worse though, a few of your friends have started to notice. How could they not? You're near them all the time now. You've made it a mission of yours to learn everything about them that might lead to the future you're trying to avoid.

It's gone ok so far. You've mostly succeeded at getting as close to everyone in the last four months as you possibly could. You've been trying hard to spend more time with Jane, Jake, and Dirk, though it's not easy with how busy the three of them are.

In reality, you haven't been spending the same amount of time with everyone, but nobody has been left out. You have all your bases covered as much as they can be. You know you're not great at multitasking, so you can only ever get two or three people together at the same place at a time, but it's been enough. You've been making good headway in regards to your friendships. In fact, your progress has been so great that you genuinely enjoy talking to Dirk now, even if it's only a little. The guy took a while to open up a bit.

The first few parts of your long-term plan have been a success, but you've been stuck on part four of the plan. Detection and prevention has not gone well so far. You know everyone's interests, you haven't neglected to spend time with anyone, and you've learned so much more about your friends and family in the past few months than you did for the past few years before your coming out party. 

And you still have no idea where it all goes wrong.

You don't know if you're just missing something that's right in front of you, or if someone has been secretly evil the entire time, or what. But nothing seems to add up to the destruction that you saw in the future.

There's just nothing! Every single problem that could possibly cause conflict, however small, you have dealt with or helped the problems reach a point where you're positive they would have no impact whatsoever. And yet, when you would zap into the future at the end of every month, it would be the same, every single time. Craters, bombshells, blasted fields, destroyed homes, and not a single sign of anyone you care about. 

You could be able to live with that, though. If the only thing you had to deal with was an impending collapse of the idyllic world you and your friends created, you think you'd be able to stick with it, for as long as you had to.

But you do not have forever. It won't happen for quite a while yet, you're pretty sure, but you are operating under a time limit, and you don't think you'll be around long enough to stop whatever disaster is on the distant horizon. Your death is only a matter of time. What you have to do now is make good use of whatever time you have left, so tragedy won't befall the people you love after you're gone.

That's right, you think to yourself as you look at your corkboard, it's not over yet. You can still pull something out of your ass. You just need to make sure all your work means something, and you don't die with any regrets. 

No pressure.


	2. Day 1

You step away from your corkboard and sigh. You're being pretty dramatic, even if everything you thought is true. You haven't even gotten dressed yet, and here you are pondering how long you have left to live. Really putting the cart before the horse here. You're pretty sure that's how that saying goes, but you don't really care enough to look it up.

You move away from your corkboard, which you've set up on the one section of your bedroom that wasn't occupied by movie posters. The dresser beckons you, and you heed its call. You throw on a pair of baggy jeans, a white and black striped shirt you got from Roxy, and a cozy fleece coat you picked up around a month ago. You already combed your hair and shaved this morning, so you don't have anything else to do to start the day.

Actually, saying you shaved is kind of exaggerating things. You started hrt soon after your coming out party, thanks to help from the pharmaceutical section of Crockercorp. Even if your chest hasn't expanded any, you haven't been growing nearly as much facial hair as you used to, and you're really just going through the motions at this point. Even so, it's a part of your routine, and those are hard to change. 

Now that you think about it, you really have gotten into a routine. Wake up, prepare for the day, have breakfast, message one or several of your friends, show up at a place you were going to hang out with someone, spend time with them, have lunch by yourself, hang out with someone else, come home, watch a movie while eating dinner, and go to bed. 

It's been different people everyday, and sometimes you have meals with other people, but that's mostly how it's been going for months. It gets pretty exhausting sometimes, but you force yourself through for your friends. It's not like you're not having fun either, it's been great getting back together with so many people!

The coughing fits make it harder to do all of that, but you've been managing. You wonder how long you'll have to manage before you can relax a bit.

You shake your head back and forth, trying to get yourself out of internal monologue mode. You usually don't get like this; thinking to yourself for so long. It's time to get your day started. You check the time on your phone: 9:28am. No big deal.

You exit your room and head down to the kitchen. You've been doing a pretty good job at keeping your house clean, even if it is just so you can invite people over now and then. You remember how you got Dirk Strider of all people to come over for a movie night a few weeks ago. He showed you a pretty crazy anime that you actually ended up liking a lot. You weren't sure what was going to get you closer to him, but you weren't expecting that.

You slip into your kitchen, the door already open. Not much point in closing it. You swing open a few of your cabinets and pull out a couple energy bars, one of which you immediately unwrap and start to eat. These should be enough to get you through to lunch. You're not exactly running late, but you don't want to take too long having breakfast either.

You meander around your kitchen, chewing on your breakfast. Jane is expecting you pretty soon for coffee, and while you can rely on your retcon powers in a pinch, you'd rather just manage your time properly. You've managed to convince her to spend less time with her corporate executives and more time with her friends. Callie in particular seemed ecstatic to spend more time with her, and while you've let them have their time, you've made sure you get your own time with her.

Wait, 'let them'? Is that what you thought? That doesn't sound right, but you don't have time to dwell, as usual. You finish the second of your energy bars and throw the wrappers away. The front door doesn't take too long to walk to, and you step out of your house for the first time today.

Immediately, the cold wind threatens to cut through your coat, and you close the door to your house, making sure to lock it. Can't have someone sneaking in and seeing your super creepy, but completely justified conspiracy board. You take a few steps out onto your front yard and crane your neck up, taking a look at the sky. 

Or, you would, if there was any sky to see; it's been pretty cloudy for a few days. You've been hearing that a storm is moving in, and people have been stocking up on a few days worth of supplies in anticipation. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but for some reason it makes your stomach churn. Maybe its part of being closer to the breeze, but seeing everything all stifling and overcast makes you feel uneasy.

Speaking of the breeze, you decide it's time you get going. In a few seconds, you've dispersed yourself into wind, your mind drifting along through the cold February air. It's gotten pretty easy for you to flow into the breeze. Maybe its the coughing fits, or maybe it's just how often you find yourself using your powers. It's almost hard not to use them, with how naturally it comes to you now.

The winds don't take long to lead you to your destination: a small but popular coffee shop some 20 minutes away from the massive Crockercorp tower. It's much farther away than you would have been able to get to some months ago, but it only takes you a few minutes now. 

You gather the scattered wisps of your body floating on the breeze and bring them together, materializing it all a block away from the coffee shop. Your feet touch the pavement, and after you ground yourself for a few seconds, you begin to make your way to your meeting place with Jane. You've gotten used to placing yourself a short walk away from wherever you take yourself on the breeze.

You've discovered that appearing in public via breath powers is not only a great way to get everyone's attention, it's an even better way to mess up everyone's hair in a 30ft radius. You're not making that mistake again.

You pay no mind to the name of the coffee shop as you open the door and head in. It was pretty cool figuring out that you didn't need to know much about your destination for the breeze to take you there. This particular place is pretty full, and there's a lot of noise as soon as you enter. The line for the counter is long, and as you get in the back of it, you peer at the filled tables throughout the place. 

It takes you a minute to spot Jane. She's sitting by herself at a four person table, which would look pretty lonely if you didn't know she was here to see you, especially since practically every other table is filled. It's likely that she would've been able to take a table from someone else if she didn't want to wait. It's pretty hard to turn down the request of a god, especially in public.

Which is the primary reason you haven't publicly come out to the people of Earth C. You and your friends are practically global celebrities, and it's a lot easier for you if people don't immediately recognize you by your deadname. For all intents and purposes, J*** Egbert is still a social recluse, and you're just some person who resembles him and just so happens to know all of his friends.

You move closer to the counter as the line advances. Hopefully you won't have to wait much longer; you don't like seeing Jane all by herself, even if you are going to meet her in a few minutes. You wonder what the press will make of this particular meeting. It's been pretty entertaining seeing the speculation and wild theories online about who you are and how you know the creators.

Of course, one of the popular theories is that you actually are J*** Egbert, but there's just as much evidence for that as there is you being the lovechild of two of your friends from the future. One of the creators is a time traveler, after all. Your favorite theory is that you are actually an evil, female version of your male self, who is trying to infiltrate the lives of your friends and bring an end to the world. Not many people believe that one, but you found it hilarious nonetheless.

The last person ahead of you in line finishes their order, and you step forward and take a look at the menu. You haven't actually thought about what you wanted, so you just glance over your options and pick something that sounds simple. The barista takes your order, and within 30 seconds, you've got it in your hands. 

You uncaptchalogue your Crockercorp Ultra-VIP™ credit card and hand it to the barista. They nonchalantly swipe it from you before doing a double take, and quickly running it and giving it back to you. They anxiously ask you if you want a receipt, to which you decline. You grin, leave the line with your relatively simple drink, and head to Jane's table. 

It looks like she noticed you while you were in the line, and she waves to you as you make your way to the other end of her table. You put down your drink on a coaster and greet Jane as you sit down.

JUNE: Hey Jane!  
JANE: Good morning, June! I'm so glad you invited me out for coffee, I've gotten so sick of the swill we have at Crockercorp that I'm thinking of firing whoever ordered the huge supply of coffee we're working through.  
JUNE: I wouldn't worry about it too much. Couldn't you just get them to order better coffee and dump whatever you're currently using?  
JANE: Well yes, I certainly could. But that would be a waste of perfectly good caffeine, and more importantly it would affect the margins. We can't have that, now can we June?  
JUNE: I guess not. Speaking of, how have things been? I know it's only been a week, but a lot can happen in seven days.   
JANE: So true. Where should I even begin? It's not like things have been crazy or unmanageable, but shucks, is it hard to keep everyone in line!  
JUNE: What do you mean?  


You take a sip of your drink, realizing you did indeed order coffee of some kind. You're much more focused on Jane, though. She's clearly been in need of someone to talk to about her troubles, and you've been all too happy to be that person for her. 

You understood within the first month that out of everyone, Jane easily has the most material influence on the world. Crockercorp has been getting it's fingers in any pie it could find, and it's got to the point that even the other kingdoms are starting to feel a bit of pressure. Of course, as long as nothing goes wrong, none of this is really of consequence.

You don't really like thinking about your friends like this, as potential problems or even threats that need to be managed, but you don't really have a choice.

JANE: And the worst thing is, they're threatening to quit over it!  
JANE: If everyone feels like they're getting ignored, then problems will just start to pile up, and there's nothing I can do at that point but replace the people that would otherwise be doing good work.  
JANE: Gosh, I don't mean to get myself all worked up, but I just don't know why everyone seems to have a problem with how things are done.  
JANE: Do you have any idea what I'm talking about, June?  


You nod, even though you were only half paying attention. Jane has expressed despair at the same thing for a while now, and you think you know enough to give her some advice. 

JUNE: Have you tried talking to your employees?  
JANE: Well, of course, June. I'm not going to just ignore what's going on with those below me on the corporate ladder.  
JANE: But, everytime I try to communicate, all I hear is excuses! Nobody can ever give me a straight answer, like if they say the wrong thing I'll fire them on the spot!  
JUNE: Ok, don't take this the wrong way, but what if the problem is that it's you that's talking to them?  
JUNE: Like, if you were only their boss and held the most power in the company, maybe it would be fine. But, as I have been reminded multiple times, we're not exactly normal people.  
JUNE: You're a god! There are churches where they worship us, Jane!  
JUNE: Logic kind of goes out the window when you're a normal person and a deity starts talking to you.  
JUNE: I think if I was in that position, I wouldn't be able to handle it at all!  
JANE: So, what do you suggest I do then if I can't even talk to my own employees? How am I supposed to get through to them?  
JUNE: … Maybe you can get someone else to talk for you?  
JANE: Like through a proxy?  
JUNE: Yeah, that's the word for it.  
JANE: I see. Yes, that could work, but who would I even ask to fill that position?   
JUNE: I don't know, Jane. You would know your company a lot better than me!  
JANE: I suppose so.   


Jane ponders for a moment, and you take the opportunity to take another sip from your coffee. Did you get something with blueberry flavoring? You should get this more often. You take a bigger drink, and swallow most of it down as Jane speaks up again.

JANE: This might be presumptuous of me June, but what if I asked you to do it?  
JUNE: Me? Are you serious?  
JANE: Oh, don't mistake me, I'm not asking you to work under me or anything! I could just call you in every now and then when I need you, and you would talk things out with whomever has a big enough issue to warrant your help.   
JANE: You would be properly compensated, of course. Think of this not as a job per se, more like I'm directly commissioning you each time you help out.  
JUNE: Jeez, I'm flattered, Jane!   
JUNE: But, I don't really think I'm the right person for the job, though.  
JANE: What do you mean? You'd be perfect!  
JUNE: What? How?  
JANE: June, I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been getting much better at reaching out and solving issues, albeit minor ones, between friends.  
JANE: I and others have already benefited from this, as you should know. I could barely hold a conversation with Mr. Vantas without either of us becoming furious at each other, but we're actually back to being on speaking terms thanks to you.  
JANE: Granted, I still don't like the man very much, but it is still important to keep relations with the rulers of the other kingdoms cordial.  
JANE: Frankly, I feel like things could have gotten ugly between us if you hadn't stepped in!  
JUNE: Well, I guess, but did I really do anything? I just got you guys to talk to each other for a little, that's all.  
JANE: That's precisely it, June. I think both Mr. Vantas and I could tell that you genuinely wanted us to get along. Somehow, just you being there made it easier to speak earnestly.  
JANE: Roxy was right, you really do sell yourself short, hoo hoo!  


You take a moment to think and drain the last third of your coffee from its cup. It had cooled just enough to drink the rest, while still being warm enough to be enjoyable. You wipe your mouth with a napkin and sigh.

JUNE: Well, when you put it like that, I guess I just have to go for it and see what happens.  
JANE: That's the spirit! Thanks a bunch, June!  
JUNE: Heh. You're welcome.  


You give Jane a tired smile and shake your cup a little to see if there's anything left. Doesn't feel like it. Your gaze falls down to the table, and you begin to ponder your newfound responsibility. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but it feels like a lot on top of everything else.

JANE: Well, we've been here for nearly twenty minutes and the only thing we've talked about are my problems! Tell me June, what have you been up to lately?  
JUNE: Oh! Well, mostly hanging out with everyone as much as I can.   
JUNE: Dirk managed to convince me that anime isn't as bad as I thought. I've been having dinner sometimes with Rose and Kanaya, and Roxy has been teaching me how to use makeup. It's kind of hard, but I think I'm getting better at it.  


Jane makes a motion with her hand and grins, a subtle twinkle in her eyes.

JANE: I can tell! It's not much, but even just a little can work wonders.  
JUNE: Thanks! I wonder if I'll ever get to be as good as you or Roxy.  
JANE: Oh, I'm sure you will. You've got all the time in the world to catch up with us.  
JUNE: Heh. Yeah.  
JUNE: Do you mind if I ask you kind of a weird question?  
JANE: I wouldn't mind at all.  
JUNE: Ok. Do you think there's anything wrong with my body?  
JANE: Oh, June. I shouldn't have to tell you how beautiful you've become. But I will, if you want me to.  
JUNE: Oh, jeez, I really appreciate it, but that's not actually what I meant.  
JANE: Oh, well, pardon me then.  
JANE: The offer still stands, though!  
JUNE: Haha, maybe later.  
JUNE: But uh, I meant like, can you use your lifey powers and see if there's actually something weird with my body?  
JANE: Sure, but I'd like to know your reason for asking this first.  
JUNE: Its probably nothing, but I think I'm sick with something.  
JANE: I thought god-tiers couldn't get sick?  
JUNE: Well, that's what I thought too, but I've been coughing like crazy every now and then, and if I am sick, I don't want to spread it to anyone else.  


You really hope she buys this. You're not ready to put your cards on the table just yet. Jane looks at you skeptically for a moment, and it feels like she's going to turn you down, before she shrugs her shoulders and reaches her hand over to touch yours. 

JANE: This should only take a moment.  


A subtle light blue mist envelops her hand and begins to creep over yours. Wisps of the translucent life energy wrap themselves around your torso, and slowly sink into you. Jane seems to be concentrating, and for a few moments she closes her eyes.

A refreshing feeling washes over you, and your muscles relax ever so slightly. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, and the blue glow from Jane's hand fades away. She opens her eyes, exhales, and begins to speak.

JANE: Well, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with you, June. You did seem a bit out of energy, though, so I took the liberty of giving you a shot of life, so to speak, so you'll feel more energized for the day. Hopefully that helps!  


Looks like you were right. There's no avoiding the truth of what just happened, but you can't let Jane worry about you if she can't really help. You throw up a smile and hope she doesn't notice how disappointed you are.

JUNE: Sounds good, thanks for the help! And thanks for the boost too, I'm probably gonna need it later today. I've got a whole thing with Dirk planned where I help him put together robots.  
JANE: Oh, lord. You really are going to need it, then. That man can really take his time when he wants to.  
JANE: Speaking of, I haven't talked with Dirk in a while. I suppose he's just busy as usual, but he usually has at least a reason for his absences of communication.   
JANE: When you get there, tell him I said hello, would you?  
JUNE: You got it.  


Jane nods and moves to pull her phone out of her pocket while reaching for her cup of coffee. She takes a gulp of what is almost assuredly room temperature coffee and checks her phone at the same time. She slams down her cup, making you jump a little, and swallows the remaining coffee in her mouth. She leans to the right and coughs into her arm before finally standing up and turning to you.

JANE: Shoot. I'm sorry June, but I'm late to a board meeting! I knew I should have never scheduled these in the mornings. I'm afraid we'll have to cut our chat a bit short, but maybe we can catch up sometime next week?  
JUNE: Oh, sure. Don't worry about it.  
JANE: Fantastic. Now, mind standing up for a moment?  
JUNE: Sure?  


You stand up and push in your chair. Before you can blink, Jane steps forward and locks you in an embrace. Its tight, but comforting. She only holds onto it for a few seconds before releasing you. 

JUNE: Jeez, Jane. People are gonna start thinking you're my mom or something at this rate, haha.  
JANE: While you technically are my daughter, don't go giving the press any ideas, alright? They already speculate about our lives enough!  
JUNE: Heh, sure Jane. See you later.  
JANE: Bye! Have fun with Dirk!  


Jane grabs her cup of coffee and rushes to the door, dropping it in a garbage can on her way out. Well, there she goes. You guess you've got some time to kill now.

You notice the stares of a few of the customers who have probably been looking at you and Jane the entire time. There's pretty much no way this hasn't already made its way to social media. Getting attention from strangers still feels kind of weird, but the wacky theories about you makes it totally worth it.

You ignore the looks of those who are probably posting about you right now, grab your empty coffee cup, and head to the exit. You drop your cup into the same garbage can Jane did and open the door, your thoughts already shifting to your plans for later today.

You take a few steps outside, the cold air already beginning to cut through your coat, as you're suddenly swarmed with a small crowd of people. It looks like they were waiting for you, as half of them are equipped with cameras, microphones, and notepads. You certainly weren't expecting this.

They begin to ask you questions, mostly about your relationship with the creators. It's a little overwhelming, but the "ma'am"s and "miss"s they're throwing at you manage to make you feel a little giddy. Looks like your makeup this morning was a good choice.

You haven't said anything yet, and you could totally just dissolve into the breeze and leave these reporters high and dry, but you decide to humor them. 

JUNE: One at a time please! You, you first.  


They quiet down surprisingly quickly, and the reporter you just pointed at asks you what your name is. You respond promptly.

JUNE: My name is June Egbert! Nice to meet you.  


Those with cameras begin to snap a few photos, the flash catching you a little off guard. You keep your composure though, and point at another one. They ask you if you're related to J*** Egbert at all. You frown, and make things very clear.

JUNE: I know him, but I don't really like him that much. Not a big fan, honestly.  


There's some murmuring, and you waste no time in pointing your finger at a different reporter, one of the ones in the back. They scramble to the front and mumble out their question: how do you know the creators? You perk up a little and answer with honesty.

JUNE: They're my friends! I've known them for years. I thought that was kind of obvious.  


Some of them begin to furiously write things down onto their notepads, and they clamor a bit before you pick another. They bring forward their question and immediately bring their microphone right up to you.

"What is your relation to Jane Crocker?"

A wide grin manifests on your face, and you almost want to stop yourself. This is almost too good. You can already tell this prank is going to be one of your best. You clear your throat, the smile still on your face, and answer with complete honesty.

JUNE: Well, she's my mother, of course!  


\-----

You're still laughing to yourself about earlier today as you knock on the front door of Dirk's house. You look up and reconsider your definition of 'house'. Dirk's place of residence is at least five stories tall and doesn't have much to look at, at least on the outside. You've been here once, but that was only to drop off a gift. You've never actually been inside.

You wonder why Dirk would have a home this big anyways. You know he builds robots and stuff, but there's no way the equipment could take up more than a floor, right? Actually, wouldn't it make more sense to have a workshop-type place in a basement area? 

It's hard to picture what kind of decorations this guy would put up. You think he likes horses, but probably not enough to have like, pictures of them on the walls. You know for sure he likes anime, but frankly you don't know enough about it yourself to envision what kinds of posters he would have. The only thing you can really see in your head are those weird "How To Draw Manga" books you saw in stores sometimes when you were a kid.

Maybe Dirk doesn't even have decorations. Maybe the dude is just too cool to put anything up, and leaves all his stuff sparkling clean and free from distractions. Yeah, you could see that. 

It occurs to you that you've gotten no response despite knocking on his door five minutes ago. He could be on some floor where he can't hear you. You feel a little silly and pull out your phone to message him. You open pesterchum and ignore the 16 messages Jane has left you. You'll open those later when you want to laugh for a bit.

EB: Hey Dirk, I'm outside. Is the door locked? If not, would you mind if I just came in?  
TT: Its unlocked. Take the elevator to the second floor.  
EB: You have an elevator?  
TT: Of course I have an elevator. What kind of self respecting god makes themselves walk up flights of stairs everyday?  
EB: Hey! I'll have you know I only walk up ONE flight of stairs everyday. It's very different.  
TT: I purposefully made flights plural so as to exclude you, you know. You give yourself at least half the respect a god should have.   
TT: But any more than one set of stairs and all that respect goes down the drain, so be careful.  
EB: Yeah, yeah. Second floor, right?  


You turn the knob of the front door and step inside. As you close the door behind you, you take a look at the first floor of Dirk's place. 

Or not. It looks like there's a small hallway that the front door leads to with an elevator door on the right wall, and another door at the end of the hallway. The walls are featureless, save for the button to call the elevator. You push back your curiosity to see what the first floor looks like and press the button. Within a few seconds, the elevator arrives with a ding, and you step inside. 

It's pretty roomy in here. No elevator music, which is kind of disappointing. You take a look at the panel with all the different floor buttons and see that there are six floors, including one basement. You press the button for floor two, and after a pleasant five second ride up, the elevator door opens up to reveal the second floor.

The entire floor is one large room. It's pretty huge, but not so huge that it might be hard to navigate. There's robot parts, benches with tools, cabinets, and odd machinery strewn about the place. It's pretty crowded with stuff, but there's enough space to move around freely.

You spot Dirk pretty close by. He definitely heard you come in, but it looks like he's still messing around with… whatever it is he's messing around with. It looks like he's got on a white tank top, some pretty basic looking pants, and his usual shades. You walk over and greet him, making sure not to step on anything on your way.

JUNE: Hey Dirk.  
DIRK: Hello, June. Sorry about the mess, I've been pretty preoccupied with an order from Rose and I haven't had time to clean up at all.  
JUNE: Woah, an order from Rose? Like, she's making you build something for her?  
DIRK: She's not making me do anything, I meant order as in, she's calling in a favor and has "humbly requested my services".   
DIRK: She wants me to make a bunch of robotic workers for her so she can one-up Dave and Roxy.  
DIRK: I've been putting it off for a while, but I can only make her wait so long. This is where you come in; I need your help to get these all done quickly.  
DIRK: I've already completed all of the internals and software needed to make these things work, I just need to put them all together.  
JUNE: Why am I here, then? It sounds like you've already done pretty much everything.   
DIRK: Because Rose wants at least five hundred robots. Preferably one thousand, she said. She wasn't being sarcastic.  
JUNE: Jeez! Ok, I get why you need my help now, but why does Rose even need that many?   
DIRK: I've been told it's for the purposes of throwing parties.  
JUNE: Are you serious?  
DIRK: Completely.  
JUNE: Wow, Dirk. I didn't think you were the kind of guy to just do all of that for someone else.  
JUNE: Uh, no offence.  
DIRK: None taken.  
DIRK: In fairness, I probably wouldn't have accepted her frankly ridiculous request if I had something more important to do. But since I've got fuckall else to do these days, I thought, why not? It's something to pass the time.  
DIRK: Now, mind holding up this arm? I need to connect it to the main body.  
JUNE: Oh, sure.  


Without further ado, you get to work. The robot arm you're handed is pretty heavy, but nothing you can't handle. You hold it in the place you're instructed to, and Dirk fits it into a slot that attaches to a torso next to him. 

Before long, you've finished the first robot of many. It looks humanoid in shape, but it's arms and legs are kind of spindly and thin. It took about thirty minutes to get it completed, and you've been letting out a lot of sweat. You don't really mind though, working out your body like this is pretty fun, and Dirk has been good with instructions.

It takes a little while for you two to get into a rhythm, but after a few hours you two have made a ton of progress. You've put together twenty or so robots, most of them person-shaped, but with a couple smaller ones that look kind of like spiders. You tell him they look creepy, and he agrees.

You two decide to take a break, and Dirk grabs a couple water bottles from a mini fridge he had hidden in the wall and hands you one. It seems pretty extra and unnecessary to you, but you don't say anything about it. You don't really know how far you can push things with him yet.

The two of you sit on a clean spot on the floor, after deploying a few pillows. Dirk doesn't have any actual chairs or anything meant for relaxing on this floor, so it's been a perfect opportunity to show off how prepared you are. You've been keeping at least one pillow on you at all times since the party, and it comes in handy more often than you thought it would. 

The two of you sit there for a few minutes, quietly sipping your water and letting your muscles relax. You know you'll just get back to work in a few minutes, but you decide to prolong your rest a little by making some conversation with Dirk.

You wonder about what to talk about first, though. You've learned it pays to have these kinds of things prepared in advance. Is there anything you could mention that both of you would be interested in? 

An idea pops into your head that seems so genius you almost can't believe it was you who came up with it. The perfect thing to bond over, that would let you interact in the future and possibly solve one of your current problems. This is such a good move.

JUNE: Hey Dirk, have you ever seen Terminator?  
DIRK: I assume you mean the first one that came out in 1984?  
JUNE: Yeah, that one. Do you think it's possible to make one?  
DIRK: It would be easy, but it would take a while. Why?  
JUNE: Do you think you could make me a robot body, like the terminator? I think that would be really cool.  


Dirk does nothing for a moment. He takes a drink of water, clears his throat, and speaks.

DIRK: Why would I need to make you a terminator body?   
DIRK: Actually, let me rephrase that. Why should I make you a robot body, terminator or otherwise?   
JUNE: Oh, well, you know. How awesome would that be?   
JUNE: Like, hey, I wonder what the gods of Earth C are up to these days? Oh, one of them became a robot. No way! Yes way, they have lasers and rockets and everything now. Wow.  
JUNE: Do you see what I mean?  
DIRK: I understand your reasoning, but I'm not sure I want to deal with literally everyone giving me shit for turning you into a robot for the explicit purpose of "it would be cool".  
JUNE: Aww.  
DIRK: Speaking of giving others shit, I saw your little prank on Jane on the news earlier today. Nice one.  
JUNE: Hehe, thanks. It was too good to pass up.  
DIRK: I'm wondering how long your whole "mysterious family relative of the gods" shtick is going to last. Now that you've told the world that you're not the other Egbert, theorists are going to go wild.  
JUNE: Who knows? I think I'll just try to enjoy it while it lasts. Some people come up with some crazy ideas.  
JUNE: I was tempted to totally lean into the whole "Crocker descendant from the future" thing, but I left things just vague enough where there's room for more theories.  
DIRK: Truly, you're a master of your craft.  
JUNE: You bet.  
JUNE: Oh yeah, Jane says hi, by the way. I think she wants to talk to you.  
DIRK: I'm sure she does.  


Dirk stops talking, and you find it kind of hard to pick up the conversation again. You were expecting him to follow that up with a clever joke, but it seems like he was just done with that train of thought.

Well, this is awkward.

You fiddle with your water and let out a cough. You clear your throat, and cough again. Your eyes widen a bit and your muscles begin to tense up as you realize what's about to happen. 

Oh fuck.

You cover your mouth with your arm as you begin to hack up every breath you take in. Your eyes have already started to water, and you close them. The coughing and terrible itch in your throat only gets worse, and you find the sounds you're making are incredibly loud.

There's no way Dirk hasn't noticed by now, but you aren't able to give him much thought. The fire racing up and down your esophagus is already beginning to choke you, and you fall to your hands and knees. You're barely able to keep yourself from falling over as your lungs heave and forcefully contract. You're not in control of your body anymore.

There's no mental space left that isn't acknowledging the pain. Your stomach has become a pit of twisting and pulling, and your mouth is already dry. All the moisture has up and vanished. Drops of red begin to tickle the back of your throat, only making you cough harder. Each time another one escapes your body, a burst of pain spreads and disperses throughout your torso.

Blood is being expelled from you now, and you see through squinted eyes someone holding something white for you to cough into. The acid from your throat is getting everywhere, but a lot of it is ending up in the white thing below your face. You try to stay still as your stomach goes in and out with the breaths you're somehow taking in.

The only thing that's taking your attention is the sensation of blood escaping your mouth and the inside of your esophagus threatening to break. Tears fall from your eyes and mix with the blood, your glasses having already fallen off of your face. 

You slowly come to your senses as the coughing and hacking lessens, and you hear the sounds you're making. You sound like a dying pig, crying for its life. You feel worse than that. 

Your tears stop in accordance with the decrease of pain, and your throat slowly stops attacking you. The blood drips out of your open mouth, and a minute passes until it's all out. Taking full breaths hurts. You stay still for a little bit, the feelings of the rest of your body slowly coming back to you. You don't know how long it's been, but you're back in control now.

You close your mouth, swallow nothing, and cringe at the pain. It still stings. Your sight is blurry and messy without your glasses, and you move your head around to look for them. They're placed in your hands by Dirk, and you put them back on. 

Dirk is crouching right next to you, one knee on the ground. You open your mouth to ask for water and he's already up. He's back in two seconds, a bottle in hand. You shakily take it, unscrew the cap, and lift it to your lips. The water mixes with the blood in your mouth, and you swallow it all slowly, the back of your throat yelling at you from the new sensation.

You drink slowly like that for a minute, each time the taste of blood fading. You've drank the whole bottle in no time, and you wipe your face with your sleeve. Some blood from the corner of your mouth gets on it, and a quiet part of you is saddened that you just stained one of the shirts Roxy gave you.

Dirk is still here, looking at you with the same stoic look on his face as ever. His posture gives away his willingness to help, though. He's ready to get you something else if you ask. You try to smile at the thought that this might've made you two closer together, somehow. You fail.

JUNE: Thanks.  
DIRK: Sure.  
DIRK: Should I call an ambulance?  


You shake your head, choosing to speak as few words as possible. The pain has mostly subsided though, so you can at least try to hold a conversation.

JUNE: Don't tell anyone about this.  
DIRK: Ok.  


You continue to sit there for another moment, just breathing. You're still a little shaky. You're not sure if that's because of the aftereffects of your attack or because of your fear.

JUNE: Hey, Dirk?  
DIRK: What is it?  
JUNE: I think I'm dying.  
DIRK: I can see that.  


You think you would laugh at that normally, but you don't want to deal with how physically uncomfortable that would feel right now. You swallow again, moisture slowly returning to your mouth.

DIRK: Is this why you wanted me to make you a robot body?  
JUNE: Yeah.  
DIRK: Makes sense. This clearly isn't your first coughing fit. When did they start?  
JUNE: Before the party.  
DIRK: The party? Your coming out party?  


You nod in affirmation, and Dirk stops talking. He turns his head slightly, and it looks to you like he's lost in thought. It's only for a moment though, and he faces towards you again.

DIRK: Mind if I talk for a while, June?  
JUNE: Nope.  
DIRK: Great, cause I've got a lot to talk about.  


Dirk gathers the two pillows you two were sitting on and places one in front of you to sit on. Thankfully, these were outside of your coughing range, and don't have a speck of blood or saliva on them. You both sit on your respective pillows, and Dirk begins to monologue. Looks like you're really in for it.

DIRK: I know you don't know much about me, so I'll just give you the pieces of information that are relevant to this.  
DIRK: Before and during the game, I kept track of several different instances of myself. My dream self, myself but a robot, myself but robot sunglasses. I'm pretty sure there's a version of me that lives in Jake's head.  
DIRK: I've been used to dealing with alternate selves, but they've almost always been separate entities from me. I could even converse with a couple of them. The same but different.  
DIRK: I don't know for how long exactly, but I'm almost positive there was another me, or several of me, operating my body.  
JUNE: What.  
DIRK: Let me finish. This different me seemed to have some goal, and clearly had irons in the fire. Not that I don't, but not as many as that guy.  
DIRK: To be clear, I think I was a part of it. I remember moments where I was more me than Me, if that makes sense.  
DIRK: I've found physical evidence of all of this, it's not just lapses in my memory. Blueprints I never made for things I have no reason to build, things like that. But at some point, all of those other Dirks faded away, and it was back to just me.  
DIRK: But the thing is, all the memories of those other Dirks faded away too. I was completely out of it, and everything was hazy for what felt like days. Do you know what the first thing is that I clearly remember after that?  
DIRK: It was the invitation to your party, June.   
DIRK: Tell me, June, did anything major happen to you a week or so before your party? Did anything change for you in a major way, such that it made you take a drastic change to the way you did things?  
JUNE: Uh.  
DIRK: I'm not going to beat around the bush, June. It's obvious something is going on with you, and that something is related to my hazy memory, at least from my perspective. You were forcing yourself to get out and solve everyone's problems, whether you liked it or not. You actually enjoying it after the fact is irrelevant.  
DIRK: To be clear, this is not an interrogation. I'm not going to force you to say anything. Even if you tell me nothing, I'll still help you get home, since I doubt you want to slip into the wind like this.  
DIRK: But if that's what you decide, I'll have to find that information some other way, which will likely end up with me talking about what happened today with others.   
DIRK: I don't know why you want to keep this all secret, but if you tell me what's been happening to you for the past four months, I can at least keep what you tell me confidential.  
DIRK: Its up to you.  


Fuck. You really, really didn't want this to happen today. You know he's giving you time to think, but you can't stop yourself from sweating bullets at the prospect of telling him what you've seen. This could completely ruin everything.

You can't give him a half baked lie, there's no way he won't pick up on it right away. Dudes looking at you like he knows what you're thinking. Fuck, you hate that. Can you actually manage to give him what he wants without telling the full story?

You have to try. If you fuck this up, you can retcon this entire afternoon as a last resort. Right, there's always a way out. You'll just have to go with what your gut is telling you.

JUNE: Ok, so, I'm not going to tell you everything, because I think if I do, it will end up with something really bad happening.  
DIRK: Noted.  
JUNE: Right. First, about my coughing thing. It started the day of the party. It wasn't nearly as bad as today, and I had Roxy and Dave there to help me. It's been getting worse since then.  
JUNE: I... I don't think I'm going to live more than a few months.  
JUNE: A little more than a month before the party, I realized I was trans, but I didn't really do anything about it. Knowing one of the reasons I was so sad didn't really help me stop being sad.  
JUNE: And there's been this voice every now and then.  
DIRK: A voice?   
JUNE: It shows up when I'm sleeping sometimes, and says stuff to encourage me or make me feel better. I thought it was just weird dreams, even though it didn't really feel like it.  
JUNE: But lately I've been hearing it when I'm awake. It's like there's someone hanging over my shoulder, who knows everything I'm doing, and gives me advice and stuff.  
JUNE: Its been a lot louder lately. I've just kind of chalked it up to my body failing and my brain going loopy, but who knows.  
DIRK: Was your revelation that you were a woman the cause of all this?  
JUNE: … No. It wasn't.  
DIRK: What was it, then?  


Here it is. It's make or break now. You have to be careful with how you say this.

JUNE: I, well,  
JUNE: I retconned somewhere random on purpose. It was sometime in the future, but I didn't know how far it was.  
JUNE: Things were fine, I think. All the four kingdoms were still around, and nothing major had gone wrong. Earth C was pretty much doing good.  
DIRK: But?  
JUNE: But we were gone.  
JUNE: All of us were just nowhere. You, Dave, Jade, Roxy, Rose, and everyone else. I couldn't find them anywhere.   
JUNE: They just... weren't there. I looked everywhere I could. I was there for days, just going to every place on the planet I thought had even a chance they could be hiding.  
JUNE: But I couldn't find them. We had all just vanished. And, I don't...  
JUNE: I still,  
JUNE: Still don't know why.  
JUNE: I have no fucking idea why. It's just... how things were.  
JUNE: And I think it was my fault.  


You stop talking, and take a deep breath. Your voice has been shaky, and so are your hands. You're been in a cold sweat for a while. Dirk gives you a moment to collect yourself before hitting you with another question.

DIRK: I can see why that got you so worked up. There's still one thing you haven't told me, though.  
DIRK: Why did you retcon out in the first place?  
DIRK: You didn't just do it for no reason.   


Your body stiffens, and your eyes widen. You didn't think he would ask you that.

JUNE: I,  
JUNE: Well, uhm,   
JUNE: I just,  
JUNE: I don't see why I need to tell you that?  
DIRK: True. You absolutely don't have to tell me.  
DIRK: But this is something you need to tell someone.  
JUNE: Huh?  
DIRK: I've got all the information I need, June. I won't have to press anyone about this.  
DIRK: But this is clearly causing you problems, whatever it is.  
DIRK: I'll ask you again, June. Why did you retcon away?  
JUNE: Oh, I just  
JUNE: Look, is this - is this really something I need to say?   
DIRK: Is this something you can handle on your own?  
JUNE: I can deal with it! Sure it sucks, but nobody but me has to deal with it!  
JUNE: I, I don't  
JUNE: I know the only thing that's going to happen if I talk about this is my friends are going to be sad for no reason. There's nothing they can even do about it, so I just shouldn't bother!  
DIRK: What about me?  
JUNE: What? What about you?  
DIRK: Do you really think I would be that upset if you talked about this problem of yours, June? We've barely talked a dozen times since we've met each other.  
DIRK: I don't think you'll argue with me when I say that we've got the weakest friendship out of everyone. It's inaccurate to say we're friends, even. Just acquaintances.  
JUNE: Oh, well I guess you're right.  
JUNE: But isn't that less of a reason to talk about this personal thing with you? Why should I, I shouldn't even,  
DIRK: Who would you rather tell: Jane or me?   
JUNE: Well, you,   
DIRK: Then, Jake or me?  
JUNE: You, yeah  
DIRK: Dave or me?  
JUNE: There's no way I could talk to Dave about this, he would completely freak out.  
JUNE: But in a cool way.  
DIRK: Jade or me? You already know the answer, right? You see where I'm going with this.  
JUNE: Yeah, I do.  
JUNE: Its just, like  
JUNE: Why should I have to talk about this to anyone? Can't I just deal with this until I don't have to anymore?  
DIRK: Do you really think this feeling is going to go away? You've said it yourself, June. You're dying. Are you willing to take this to the grave?  
JUNE: No! No, I just   
JUNE: God, I don't...   
JUNE: Why do I have to deal with this? Shouldn't there be something that just makes this feeling go away?   
DIRK: Sure, there is. You just have to admit you have a problem.  
JUNE: I know I have a problem, but it's not a big deal! There's so many things going on that are so much more important!   
JUNE: Jane is overworked, Calliope thinks they'll be forgotten, Rose is worried about relapsing, Dave and Karkat have nightmares, Jade is still lonely, Roxy has no idea what he's doing with his life, Kanaya is trying to resurrect her entire race, and I don’t even know what's going on with Jake!!  
JUNE: How can I expect them to deal with any of my stupid problems? They already have enough to worry about! What kind of shitty person dumps all their emotional baggage on their friends and just expects them to deal with it?  
DIRK: Is that what you think you'd be doing?  
JUNE: No! I mean, yes!   
DIRK: Pretty flimsy excuse, June.  
JUNE: Shut up!  
DIRK: No thanks.  
JUNE: Ugh, why am I even talking about this to you? Why do you want to know my problems so bad?  
DIRK: Because it's obvious, June.  
JUNE: What's obvious?  
DIRK: That you're struggling.  
JUNE: How? I haven't talked about any of this until just now! I've been really careful not to mention any of this crap!  
DIRK: Do you really think that lowly of your friends, June? Do you seriously believe that they don't know you well enough to be able to tell when you're going through something?  
DIRK: I barely know you, and I can read you like a book.  
JUNE: God, why does any of this even matter? So what, I retconned myself to the future. Why does it matter what I was there for, there's something way more important that I have to deal with!  
JUNE: I, I can't  
JUNE: I don't have enough time to think about any of this, ok? I have to-  
DIRK: Have to what? Have to solve everyone's problems so we all live in harmony forever? Have to neglect yourself to the point of ruin so your friends live on without you?  
DIRK: We're going to have problems with each other, June. Some of us end up having problems with ourselves. It's an inevitability.  
DIRK: So what's yours? What was such a big deal to you that it made you leap across space and time to confront it?  


Your head is pounding, and you've been digging your fingernails into your palms so hard it's started to cut through skin. Your heart is beating out of your chest.

JUNE: Nothing, there was nothing!  
JUNE: I just,  
JUNE: It was day in and day out; I couldn't figure it out! I was beating my head against the wall trying to understand something that everybody else had already gotten when they were kids!  
JUNE: No matter how much I thought, or how much I considered the possibilities, I couldn't find a single one.  
JUNE: I couldn't,  
JUNE: Couldn't see why,  
JUNE: Why I should keep living.  
JUNE: Everyone else had at least one thing, but I didn't. They could keep going, there was something they had in their heads that they wanted, or needed, that they had to have or not have.  
JUNE: But I didn't have one!  
JUNE: We did it, it's over! We won the game!   
JUNE: So now what? I've already done the most important thing I'll ever do in my entire life. There's not a single fucking reason I could find to keep existing.  
JUNE: So I left. I went to the future cause I wanted to make sure. If there was even a tiny speck of reason for me sticking around.  
JUNE: If, whenever I showed up, there was someone who needed me, who couldn't deal without me, then that would be it. Just one person would be enough. I would have a single reason to keep going.  
JUNE: But what am I supposed to think? Now I have to deal with the fact that everyone is just fucking GONE! They could be dead, or in outer space, or in some other universe, and I have no fucking idea which one it is!  
JUNE: So what do I do? What do I do when everyone I care about disappears off of the face of the Earth? What am I supposed to think?  
JUNE: How could it be anything but my fault?  
JUNE: I'M THE ONE THAT LEFT!!  
JUNE: It was never them. I was the reason that they had all disappeared. I failed as much as anybody could possibly fail.  
JUNE: So now I had a reason. I had a real thing to do that was important, that actually mattered. If I couldn't do this, everything I did up to this point may as well have never happened.  
JUNE: But you know what?   
JUNE: None of that ever mattered, cause it's all going to happen anyways! Not a single thing I've done these past four months has meant anything!  
JUNE: I've gone back and checked, Dirk. Four times. It's always the same. They're always just gone.   
JUNE: Every time I wake up and I want to stay in bed, every time it hurts to look at myself, every time I've coughed up blood, every time I've thrown up from talking too much, every time I can't tell someone the truth, every time I forced myself to eat when food tastes like lead, none of it mattered. I did all of that for nothing.  
JUNE: And now I'm going to die a failure, because I couldn't even do the one thing I needed to.  


There are no tears falling from your eyes. No sobbing, no crying, no grieving. You just feel empty and exhausted. You can't even bother to look at Dirk now. You stand up, and begin to walk towards the eleva

You don't walk anywhere. You still have to talk to Dirk. There's no way You're going home like this, there must be something that he can tell You about that would make You feel better.

You begin to hold Your hands up to Your temples, a very minor headache starting to affect You. Dirk walks over to You, most likely to offer some friendly advice.

JUNE: The voice is back.  
DIRK: The voice? The one you mentioned earlier?  
JUNE: I think it's…  
JUNE: Telling me what to do?  


You don't speak of this again, and switch the topic of conversation over to something positive. You need to be able to feel better, and Dirk might be the right man for the job. Sure, You don't know him well, but You can definitely trust him.

JUNE: What, no I don't,  
JUNE: Like, not really.  
DIRK: You don't what?  
JUNE: Trust you, I think   
JUNE: Ugh, my head really hurts all of a sudden.  


The sudden urge to spill Your feelings out to Dirk and bond over trauma is astounding. Doing so will definitely help You unravel Your problems and become a better person.

JUNE: No, shut up! I don't want to do that!  


You think it would be a good idea to calm down. Nobody is going to hurt You, and You are perfectly safe. Is it really that bad of an idea to keep talking to Dirk? Maybe he wasn't as cool as I thought. I thought he was turning over a new leaf, but who knows?

JUNE: Urrggghhh, I don't care! Just leave me alone!  
DIRK: Look, June, I shouldn't have pushed it that far. I was way out of fucking line. Nobody has the right to dig into your personal shit like that, especially some asshole you don't even know that well.  
JUNE: I'm not talking to you! I'm talking to- ugh!  


You hold the sides of Your head, the pulsing from Your temples growing stronger. You think You might be overreacting, and that the rising sensation in Your chest is probably nothing to worry about. 

JUNE: Stop it! Stop talking in my head!  
DIRK: June, I'm not in your head. This isn't me here.  
JUNE: I already said I'm NOT talking to you! Just-  


The pressure from Your lungs increasing is nothing to worry about. You are getting Your life back on track, and unloading Your feelings is a necessary part of healing. This is pretty simple stuff! This is clearly a big deal to You, and You're going to have to talk about it sooner or later!

JUNE: I WON'T! YOU'RE WRONG, I'M DYING, AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP IT! NONE OF THIS MATTERS!  
DIRK: June, would you mind not-  
JUNE: NOT TALKING TO YOU!  


Wow, You're not even aware of how You're messing up Dirk's whole shop. Really tossing shit around with Your windy powers all willy nilly. There goes a robot head, right by Your face. That almost hit You, You know!

DIRK: June, could you  
JUNE: URRGGHHHH!  


There's some sort of wind manifesting around Your mouth. That is not something You want to let go of. It is absolutely imperative You shove that burst of breath right back in Your gullet. Things will probably get very bad if You don't.

JUNE: JUST  


Well, shit. I may have gone a bit overboard.

JUNE: LEAVE  


Things will only get worse if You go through with this. 

JUNE: ME  


Please, don't do this, June.

JUNE: ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!  


\-----

Dirk looks at the place where June was standing just moments ago. After unleashing that deafening explosion of breath, she zapped herself away via retcon. The workshop aside, there is a massive hole in the floor and ceiling. The absolutely massive burst of wind that June let out went straight upwards, no doubt fucking up the upper floors. 

Dirk walks to the edge of the hole to the floor below and looks down. Looks like the first floor is fine, if a bit messy. Dirk looks up and sees a big mess of blue, mixing with the clouds above. Yep, that thing is still going. June zapped away after letting that thing go, so is that thing autonomous? Dirk didn't know she could do that.

Dirk considers that June probably also didn't know she could do that. It's fading out of sight now, the windy thing leaving to do it's own thing. Dirk also considers that he's going to have to redo floors 3 through 5, and mentally clears his calendar for the week.

Dirk thinks it might be a good idea to call someone about this.

Dirk pulls out his phone from his pocket and gets to Rose's contact info. Call or message? Definitely call. He dials the number, and it rings once, twice, three times.

DIRK: Hello, darling daughter of mine. There's a problem.  
ROSE: Wonderful father of mine, I am quite busy at the moment. Kanaya needs all hands on deck in the caverns and I have yet to lose mine. Can this wait?  
DIRK: Unfortunately, no. This is an actual problem, not a fake problem, like not having enough robots to set up parties.  
ROSE: Well, give me a moment, then.  


Dirk hears some shuffling noises from the other side of the call, some light yelling, and after a moment of silence, Rose's voice picks up again.

ROSE: What's the issue, then?  
DIRK: You remember that whole Ultimate Self business I told you about?  
ROSE: Dirk, not this again. You know we already-  
DIRK: It's not about me, Rose. It's about June.  
ROSE: June? We both know she has problems, as we all do, but I find it hard to believe that she's dealing with her alternate selves infiltrating her mind.  
DIRK: Would you believe me if I said she told me there was a voice in her head who she began to yell at during our otherwise normal activity of putting together party-bots?  
ROSE: Pardon?  
DIRK: Oh yeah, and after that she blew a hole in three of my ceilings with a massive tornado that erupted from her mouth. I guess she must have been embarrassed, since she retconned herself right out of here after it was done.  
DIRK: She probably just went home. I would say I deserve this for being a touch too friendly with the gal, but I wasn't exactly expecting that much pushback. This does count as a problem, doesn't it?  
ROSE: …  
ROSE: I suppose it does, yes.   
ROSE: Can't exactly say I was expecting this.  
DIRK: Well, that makes two of us.  


There is a moment of silence between the two, and a small piece of loose concrete falls from above and lands next to Dirk. There's a bit of yelling from somewhere on Rose's end of the call.

ROSE: I'll call you back soon, just don't do anything too extravagant without me. I take it you're going to keep this between the two of us?  
DIRK: That's the plan.  
ROSE: Right. Good luck with the holes in your roof, by the way. I hear we're going to get some rain soon.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I figured how to format dialogue the right way, and no I'm not going to go back and change the first part. I'm just too lazy for that, and I'd rather spend time making more chapters than redoing old stuff.


	3. Day 2

You stare at the ceiling of your room, the comforter or your bed enveloping you like a cocoon. You don't really know when you woke up this morning, but you went to sleep after falling on top of your bed and passing out yesterday.

You're trying not to think about that, though. The completely blank white surface of your ceiling is much more interesting. You think this is a fine activity to spend several hours doing. In fact, you'd go so far as to say that this might be what you want to spend the entire rest of the day doing. Possibly the day after that, too.

Yup. Is there even a reason to get out of bed? You don't think so. You have everything you need right here: phone, charging cord, your soft bed that won't ask you personal questions, and that's it. As far as you know, that's all any human needs to survive. You're completely set.

You wonder if god-tiers can die of hunger or thirst. It might get uncomfortable, but now is a good of a time as any to test it out. Not like you've got much else going on!

A pesterchum notification pops up on your phone and you don't bother to look at it. Just keep staring at the ceiling. Yes, this is definitely what normal people do when they have a bad day. Refusing to talk to anyone and staying in bed until however late in the day it is is precisely what well-adjusted individuals do. This is such a common occurrence that you were stupid to ever think it wasn't.

You wonder if you can use your breath powers to get something from your fridge downstairs. It's possible, but it would probably take a ton of concentration. You can already picture yourself using just a bit too much force and throwing your fridge through the wall of the kitchen. Maybe you'll hold off on testing that out.

Another pesterchum notification pops up. Man, those messages from Jane were funny. Reporters totally hounded her after her meeting yesterday, she had no idea what was going on. She was pretty pissed at you. Not so pissed that you'd be worried about it, though. Maybe you'll read them again. They'll probably be just as funny the fourth time around.

Another message. You're tempted to turn your phone off. What will you do for entertainment, though? You can only stare at the ceiling for so long before it starts to get boring. Not that it isn't already boring, but it can always get more boring. Can something become so boring that it actually becomes interesting? Sounds like the perfect thing to test out right now.

\-----

God, you are such a shitty friend. How could you forget you were supposed to see Jade tonight? You haven't seen her in like a month! She was looking forward to this afternoon and you're going to be late as hell. What time is it even? 4:50:pm? Ok, You're not totally screwed. 

You're already out of bed. You throw on a shirt and some pants, not paying attention to the colors. You pick a jacket at random, and- is this leather? When did you get a leather jacket? Whatever, it's not important. You put it on.

What is important is you not letting Jade down. Despite your attempts, you haven't talked with Jade much these past four months. You think you've actually had more conversations with Dirk, for fuck's sake.

You do a quick check in the mirror to make sure you're presentable enough. No facial hair, no makeup, and you haven't brushed your teeth. Was your face always this gaunt? Whatever. You're not messy, you're fully clothed, and you don't smell. Good enough.

You make sure your phone is in your pocket, and without further ado, you open the window of your bedroom and merge with the wind. You rush out into the breeze, wishing it would hurry up and take you to where you needed to go. Not much time to waste here.

The breeze seems to comply, and the air you've meshed with feels rough, like sandpaper in gaseous form. It grates against you, but you have to accept it. You suppose you deserve this vaguely uncomfortable feeling for forgetting about Jade. You're not left much time to stew on it though, as you're swiftly deposited on the path leading to Jade's laboratory. You feel kind of dizzy from how fast that was, but you try to ignore that feeling as you catch your bearings.

The trees surrounding her lab are covered in fresh snow, and the howling winds and distinct chill in the air make you regret not picking something more insulating. You wonder why Jade chose to place her lab so far away from everyone else. You see the lab ahead of you, at the end of the walkway of stone. You walk along it and shove your hands in your pockets. 

It only takes you a minute to get to the front door of the lab. There's a passcode lock and a doorbell, and as you don't know the code, you opt for the doorbell instead. The whooshing of the wind prevents you from hearing it, but you know you pressed it, as you hear the barking of a dog from somewhere inside.

It only takes about half a minute for Jade to show up and open the door. She's wearing a lab coat which looks pretty dirty, and there's a set of goggles on the top of her head, above her glasses. She doesn't look surprised or upset to see you at all, which fills you with both confusion and relief. She greets you as she waves you in.

JADE: Hey June, thanks for coming!  
JADE: And get in here, it's cold as hell!  
JUNE: You got it.  


You walk inside and Jade closes the door behind you, the electronic lock whirring back into locked position automatically. Her dog, a German Shepard whom you've forgotten the name of, strides up to you and starts licking your cold hands. It tickles, and the ends of your mouth turn up just a little.

The interior of Jade's lab doesn't really look like a lab at all. Sure, the ground is made of concrete as are the exterior walls, but there are rugs, decorations, and furniture everywhere, at least in this living room equivalent. This place may be built like a bunker, but it feels a lot more like a place to live.

Jade throws her lab equipment on a rack with other lab coats and goggles already crowding it. Her long hair is tied back in a ponytail, and it falls all the way to her lower back. Looks like she's been growing it out, same as you. Hey, that would be a good conversation starter.

JUNE: Your hair looks pretty good like that. Have you been growing it out?  
JADE: Thanks! And yeah, I guess I have? It's mostly just me forgetting to cut it though.  
JADE: Your hair looks pretty good too! Reminds me of when I used to cut my hair shorter, actually.  
JUNE: Aww, thanks.  


You fiddle with a few strands of your hair. It goes past your shoulders now, and you've found it's getting harder and harder to keep it kempt the more it grows. You're not really complaining, though.

JUNE: Hey, Jade, sorry for being late, by the way. It totally slipped my mind, and I rushed to get here as fast as I could.  
JADE: Late? It's only like two-something, right?  


She pulls out her phone from her back pocket and clicks it on. Her face changes from surprise, to disbelief, before settling on embarrassment. There's a slight flush to her cheeks as she puffs out her next sentence.

JADE: Wow, I really didn't think that much time had passed. Whoops! I was pretty caught up with my recent project, so I wasn't really paying attention to the clock.  
JADE: So, don't worry about it.  
JADE: Oh! Why don't I show you what I've been working on? I think you'd really like it!  
JUNE: Sounds good!  


Well, that's a weight off your shoulders. Jade motions for you to follow her to a deeper part of her lab, and you follow her lead, as her dog loses interest in you and treads off. Jade takes you past a couple rooms that you barely get a look at. Looks like there's some pretty cool science stuff in here! Too bad you don't have enough time to explore this whole place.

The two of you arrive in a room that has no windows, with several bright sun lamps that are shining above their respective planters. You don't know for sure, but it looks like the planters are all hooked up to some big machine at the end of the room. There's tubes and pipes scattered along the walls and floors. You could almost mistake this as a room from a space station like in some of the movies you've seen, minus the colorful decorations on the walls. She has a lot of those all over the place.

JADE: Welcome to my planter room! I grow all the food I don't eat in here. I'm currently growing vegetables in these for an experiment I'm currently running!  
JUNE: Wow. This room is already pretty big Jade, how big is the room where you make all the food you don't eat?  
JADE: Oh that place is at least twice as big as this! Though, I do grow for quality, not quantity.  
JADE: Not having to worry about random veggie teleportation really let's me hone in on the tasty stuff.  
JUNE: Nice. What's up with that experiment you mentioned?  
JADE: Oh, come here and let me show you!   


Jade brings you over to one of the planters. The top looks pretty normal: soil, a little sprinkler, and tiny sprouts of something green poking through the dirt. It's got a bunch of buttons and dials on the machinery connected below it, with readings for things that you have no idea about. The numbers being displayed aren't changing at all. There's also a small hole for something, but you're not sure what.

Jade pushes a few of the buttons and turns one dial all the way up. The numbers all start rapidly changing, and once they begin to stabilize, Jade grins in excitement and fires off some words at you.

JADE: Ok, keep your eyes on the plants! Just like that!  


You give her a thumbs up, but her gaze has already shifted back to the machinery. She sticks her index finger in that hole you saw earlier, and you turn to look at the tiny plant sprouts. You see out of the corner of your eye a bit of green light flash for a second, and the dirt begins to shift. 

Ever so slightly, the young plants begin to grow. At first, it's just the stems, but they quickly grow leaves, then buds. Small white flowers begin to bloom at the top of the stems, and soon after that, a white fruit starts to grow. Three others follow after, and the leaves are only getting bigger. The first fruit begins to turn a bright red, and you realize that this is a strawberry plant. The other three soon turn red as well, and a few seconds after that, Jade presses a button, and the plants stop growing. 

Jade turns to you, a bright smile on her face. She looks like she's going to burst from excitement.

JADE: So, what do you think? Pretty cool right!  
JUNE: Yeah! I mean, wow! How did you even do that? Are these safe to eat?   
JADE: I've been working on a machine that can make plants that bear fruit grow extremely quickly, and I finally got down the growth part of it! It was ridiculous trying to tune everything just right, but I finally found the right conditions that would let it take place and not totally ruin the plants in the process.  
JADE: Right now, this process is dependent on a shot of energy directly from me to jumpstart it, which I'm supplying using my witch powers. Turns out those are useful for a lot more things than I thought!   
JADE: This project still isn't finished by any means, but now I know the whole thing is actually possible! All I need to do now is limit the amount of power it needs from me as much as possible and then streamline everything.  
JADE: And yes, the strawberries are edible. :)  
JUNE: Mind if I have one?  
JADE: Go for it!  


You waste no time in picking a fresh strawberry off of its stem and biting half of it off. You chew it for a moment before the flavor hits you. It tastes incredibly ripe, and nothing like a strawberry you've ever had. In fact, it's pretty fucking terrible. You spit it out onto the ground and stick out your tongue to indicate the horrible experience you've just gone through.

JUNE: Blehhhh!  
JUNE: Jade, you said they were edible!  
JADE: They are! I never said they tasted good.  
JUNE: Why even make something like this if you're not planning to eat them, then?  
JADE: I'm so glad you asked!  
JADE: So, you know how we've all got loads of grist left over from playing the game, and how we're using that grist to make some of the stuff that the people of Earth C use?  
JUNE: Yeah, what about it?  
JADE: Well, we've got tons of it, but it's going to run out eventually, right? It might feel like we've got infinite amounts of the stuff, but there's no more imps to beat up for loot anymore. So, what happens a hundred years down the line when we all run out?   
JADE: The answer is we're screwed! Well, not us, we'll probably be fine, but what about everyone else? What about the millions of people that depend on our stockpile of grist not running out? What happens to them when we run out?  
JADE: Nothing, if I have anything to say about it!  
JADE: You may not know this June, but Jane actually had a device that could turn objects into grist! It wasn't very helpful when she was playing the game, but once she told me about it, I figured out the code for it and got to work.   
JADE: If I can set up a reliable automated farm that makes tons and tons and tons of fruits and veggies very quickly, and then have them automatically turned into grist and added to our stockpiles, we wouldn't have to worry about running out!  
JADE: It'll probably take a year or two to make it all happen, but once it's set up, all it will take would be the occasional refill of space energy every now and then, and boom! We've got theoretically infinite grist!  


Jade catches her breath, the excitement clearly visible on her face. You're pretty blown away by all this, but you don't want to leave her hanging.

JUNE: That sounds incredible, Jade! How did you even come up with something like this?  
JADE: It's actually something I've been thinking about for a while. I know everyone's pretty ok with how things are going, and the smartest of us are pretty busy with other important matters, but I'm trying to think long-term.  
JADE: If we get too cozy for a century and then have our whole lifestyles change because of something we had a ton of time to figure out, I would feel really stupid for not thinking of a solution earlier.   
JADE: So, here I am, making a solution now so I won't have to later!  


You're in shock. You knew your sister was smart, but holy crap. You had a suspicion that she was just kind of messing around in here, but she hasn't been goofing off at all. She's been working towards something that'll save you all a lot of trouble so far down the line that you hadn't even bothered to think about it. Jade is incredible.

It makes you really sad that this probably won't matter in the end anyways.

JADE: Uh, hey June? You're looking kind of pale.  
JUNE: What? Oh, sorry. Just kind of surprised at how amazing you are!  
JADE: Aw, thank you!  
JUNE: You're welcome :B  
JUNE: Also, I haven't eaten anything today, so I guess I'm feeling pretty tired.  
JADE: What! June, it's almost dinnertime! How have you not eaten anything yet?  
JUNE: I, um, forgot?  
JADE: :/  
JADE: We are going to have a nice sisterly dinner together right now, June! There's no way I'll let one of my family members go hungry in a place where I literally grow food.  
JADE: Let's head to the kitchen.  


Jade heads back the way we came, and you follow her, your feet half dragging along the floor. You think you were doing fine just a minute ago, so why are you so tired now? Maybe you're more out of it than you thought.

Before you know it, you're in what counts as a kitchen to Jade Harley. It's got the usual kitchen appliances: oven, stovetop, microwave, a perfectly square white box that runs on radiation, fridge, toaster. All things everyone has in their kitchen.

No windows in here, but the pretty pictures of you and your friends from a few years ago littering one of the walls makes it feel pretty homely nonetheless. Jade turns on a burner, and takes something out of her freezer. She pulls out a pan, and you realize you're just going to be taking up space as she cooks. This is not an especially large kitchen, like it was designed for one person to use it at a time.

You offer to help, but Jade declines immediately, shoving you into a chair next to her tiny dining table. She scoots you in like you barely weigh anything, and she's right back to the kitchen. You guess you're on your own for a bit. 

Now that you have a moment to think, you realize you haven't checked your phone for any messages. You fish out your phone, and see five messages from Rose. Looks like that's who was pestering you earlier on in the day. You decide to read those later and instead read the headlines of some of the news articles about your friends. There's usually a section on every news site about you and your fellow gods, but they're mostly just tabloid flavored gossip pieces.

The wild theories about you don't often get published in anything except the trashy stuff, but those are always the most interesting, so you've ended up subscribed to a few. Oh, here's one that looks good: "Impostor! The True Identity Of A Fake God!" Now, this looks incredible. You have to give this a read.

\-----

JADE: Hey, what do you want to drink?  


The voice of your sister breaks you out of your concentration. You turn your head away from your phone towards the kitchen and weakly give a response.

JUNE: Just water, thanks.  
JADE: Ok! The food will be ready in a minute!  


You're surprised at how fast she finished cooking. You look back towards your phone, and- huh. Why is your screen off? You click it on to see the beginning of the article you were reading. Actually, you don't really remember anything from this. Did you just not absorb any information or were you that zoned out that you didn't even realize you weren't reading anything?

The clinking of silverware distracts you from your thoughts, and Jade exits the kitchen to set the table. Just a fork and a knife for each of you, and a napkin to lay below them. Jade runs back and forth from the kitchen with a cup of water for each of you, and then the plates upon which your meals reside.

After setting everything down, Jade seats herself next to you. You take a look at what she's prepared, and for some reason you're not surprised. A big juicy steak, mashed potatoes, and miscellaneous green and red veggies. Your steak doesn't look too rare for you, but hers definitely is. 

JADE: Go ahead and dig in!  


She wastes no time taking her own advice, and cuts a huge piece out of her steak. She rips off a chunk with her teeth and starts to chew, a satisfied expression on her face. Guess you better follow her lead. You are pretty hungry, after all.

You cut off a much smaller piece from your steak, the knife scratching against the plate. You lift it to your mouth with your fork and begin to experience the pure joy that is a home cooked meal. 

The two of you eat without words for a few minutes. You don't eat that fast at first, but your appetite quickly kicks in, and you pick up the pace quickly. Jade is clearly ravenous, as are you. It's possible she hasn't eaten at all today either, though it's probably just because she was busy with her science stuff. 

After you start to dive into the vegetables, Jade swallows a bite of potatoes and begins to talk.

JADE: How is it?  
JUNE: Great! I had no idea you knew how to cook. I just figured you alchemized your meals everyday with how busy you are, haha.  
JADE: Well, I do, most of the time. It's pretty nice being able to make something fresh using stuff I've grown, though. I actually sendificate most of the food that grows in my other planter room to the human kingdom, since I don't have the time to cook it all.   
JADE: I'm just too busy or forgetful to make my own stuff everyday. It's not a big deal though, since it makes times like this a real treat!  
JUNE: Aren't you the one treating me, though? You pretty much made the whole meal!  
JADE: Well yeah, but I meant treat as in experience! I don't get out a lot, so it's really nice to just have a relaxing dinner with one of my friends after a long day of work.  
JUNE: You don't get out a lot? I thought you would've been trying to hang out in person with everyone a ton!   
JUNE: Like, weren't you having a great time with Dave and Karkat? I kind of thought you were still living there, but it looks like you've been spending way more time here instead.  
JADE: I was having fun! A lot of fun! But it got really, really tiring after a while.   
JADE: Karkat and Dave are really great to be around, but I don't know how much longer I could've lived with them. I got so used to just living by myself that having someone wake me up in the middle of the night or the house being messy all the time really started to irritate me!  
JADE: I didn't want to live by myself because I thought that meant I would be lonely again, but I talked about it with them and I realized that just because I was living somewhere else didn't mean that I wouldn't be as close to them.  
JADE: Also, I'm pretty sure they were getting sick of me blowing up the lawnring every other week from experiments.  
JUNE: Hehe, probably.  
JADE: So I set this place up, and it's been great! I adopted Ruffles, set up all my equipment, and I've been hard at work ever since!  
JADE: I still visit everyone now and then, and I always look forward to our monthly hangouts.  
JADE: I have no idea how you've been so consistent with that! How do you even manage to fit everyone into your schedule? I would go crazy just looking at my calendar!  
JUNE: Oh, it's not so bad. Some people are more available than others, like Roxy and Dave, so I don't worry about getting to them as much. I get Jane and Jake in when I can, as they're both pretty busy. Dirk is only open when he wants to be, so I take his offers when I can.   
JUNE: Rose and Kanaya have been weirdly insistent about getting me to stay over for the night, but I've only been able to settle for brunches and dinners every now and then since it would take too long getting ready if I woke up there. Oh yeah, Calliope likes going to plays, but even though those take a long time I still go with them. I think Roxy gets bored with them so he never stays the whole way through, haha.  
JUNE: So yeah, I've been able to hang out with everyone, so it's not so bad.   
JADE: Wow June, it sounds like you're really busy! When do you even have time for yourself?  
JUNE: Well, I can usually catch a movie or a few episodes of a tv show before I go to bed everyday, so I've got my personal time.  
JADE: That doesn't sound like a lot, but if you say so!  


Jade takes the last few bites of her steak and shovels down a few bites of potatoes. You poke at your veggies, and eat a bit of broccoli. Its good, but for some reason your appetite seems to have slowed down again. 

JADE: Hey June?  
JUNE: Yeah?  
JADE: Have you… lost weight?  
JUNE: Um, no? Why do you ask?  
JADE: Don't take this the wrong way, but have you been eating enough?  
JUNE: I'm eating right now, Jade.  
JADE: I know that! What I mean is, you don't look super healthy, June. You're still pretty pale, you know.  
JUNE: Well, I guess I didn't put any makeup on or anything today. I think I'm feeling fine, though. I definitely feel better now that I've got some food in me, though. Thanks for that.  
JADE: Hey, no problem! Even if we weren't both starving, I still might've been tempted to make you something to eat.   


Jade smiles at you, and you give her a slightly forced grin back. It feels like you haven't seen your sister in forever. You're tired, but you don't think you want to go home just yet. You take a few final bites of potato, swallow, and stand up. 

JUNE: I think I'm done. Thanks for the dinner Jade. Mind if I stick around for a little while?  
JADE: I don't mind at all! In fact, I was kind of hoping I could show you some of the other side projects I've been cooking up.  
JUNE: That sounds great.  
JADE: Well, I'm pretty much done anyways, so let's get right right to it! I'll clean up the dishes later, don't worry about anything!  


Jade bounces out of her chair, and before you can think, she's already dragging you to a deeper part of her lab. 

\----- 

You pick up your leather jacket from the chair you left it on and head for the door. It's around 9pm, and Jade is nearly out of breath from talking a few feet away. You've never learned so much about biochemistry and sediment in your entire life. Jade became an expert on basically everything when you weren't looking, and she's not keen on leaving out details. 

Her dog seems to sense that you're leaving, and comes over to you and whines. Looks like he enjoyed your company, even though he was only in the same room as you half the time. What was his name again? Ruffles? You pat Ruffles on the head and prepare to say goodbye to your sister. 

JUNE: Thanks for having me over, Jade. Its been a lot of fun.  
JADE: Of course! You're always welcome here, June. Just make sure to let me know when you're coming like you usually do, I don't want to be interrupted while I'm messing around with something explosive!  
JUNE: Haha, sure.   


You twiddle your thumbs, trying to figure out the best way to say this. 

JUNE: Hey, um.  
JADE: Yeah?  
JUNE: Do you mind if we, uh, hug?  
JADE: Pffff, of course not!  


Jade wraps you up in a strong, but comforting embrace. You waste no time hugging her back. You're holding her pretty tight, but you hope she doesn't mind too much. Before she can let go, you ask what's been on your mind for the past 20 minutes. 

JUNE: Hey Jade?  
JADE: Uh huh?  
JUNE: Do you mind if I come over tomorrow too?   
JUNE: I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, but I think it would be really nice if I could-  
JADE: Of course you can come over tomorrow! Jeez, you just can't get enough of me, huh?  
JUNE: Haha, yeah.  
JUNE: I, um  
JUNE: I think I really needed this today. Thank you.  


The two of you break from your hug, and you find it hard not to smile at her. She's still pretty excited, but it looks like she's started to wind down. You put your jacket back on, and open the door to the outside. 

JADE: I enjoyed your visit here just as much as you did, June. I'm looking forward to tomorrow! Get home safe!  
JUNE: Me too Jade, and I will. See you tomorrow!  
JADE: Bye June!  


You wave goodbye, take a step outside, and close the door behind you. The sun set hours ago, and it's gotten colder since then. The wind has died down though, and the night seems peaceful. You decide to walk for a while before you let the breeze take you back home. You haven't really had a walk through a forest during nighttime in- well, ever. 

No better time to have a new experience than in the present. You begin your stroll on the walkway leading to Jade's lab, but soon turn away from it. You don't really need to worry about getting lost because of your powers, so you can wander as much as your heart desires. 

It's pretty dark, but not so dark that you can't see in front of you. The trees are just visible enough for you to not run into them. The leaves crunch beneath your feet, and the distant sounds of animals are actually somewhat comforting. It gives you the feeling that you aren't totally alone out here. 

You walk for a while, not paying much attention to any one thing in particular. After your legs start to get tired, you stop, and crane your head upwards. You can actually see the stars out here, wherever this is. It occurs to you that Jade grew up under a sky like this, and suddenly her decision to live out here makes a lot more sense. 

It's incredible. The swathes of stars and galaxies somewhere out there in this new universe shine at you, their light the only thing hitting your eyes. You remain transfixed for a moment. You try to place some of the stars into shapes, and you wonder what kind of constellations the people of this world have created while you were gone. How many times have your friends looked at the sky like this? Save for Jade, do any of them know how beautiful the night sky could be? You didn't know until just now. Maybe you should take them out here, sometime. 

A lump catches in your throat, and your concentration is broken. You turn your head away from yourself and let out a few rough coughs, feeling a liquid leave your throat that you didn't know was building up. You expect to break out into a full fit, but after a few smaller coughs, it seems you're all done. You blink a couple times. That was it? 

Oh well, you're not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. You suppose that's the universe telling you to not get too comfortable. You wipe your mouth with your jacket, and turn yourself into wind. You take your time, letting the breeze take as long as it wants to take you home. No need to rush this time. 

The breeze carries you here and there, giving you glimpses of the places you pass by. Just feelings, gone as soon as they pass, but you remember what they feel like. There's the smell of confectionaries here, the loud bass of a house party there. A delicate reunion, a serious confession, and a heartfelt embrace all pass you by, the hints of emotions hitting you ever so slightly. 

Part of you brushes against the windowpane of a board room, the smell of bad coffee tinting your vision. Another part dances around a young troll, blowing away the papers they were carrying. A stray wisp is breathed in and out again by a man surrounded by metal. Every bit of you interacts with the world, and touches it here and there. Its a comforting feeling. 

You let yourself exist, not needing to be attached to anything right now. You just want to experience what's out there for a while. 

The breeze takes you where it takes you. A deep cave, untouched by anything living. The top of a mountain, wondrous and alone. The beach of an island with a single inhabitant. A tall building with dozens of lives, both still and active, all at once. A single candle illuminating ones trek through the night. For just a little, you're part of it all. 

And before you know it, you're home. You and the breeze are satisfied, for now. You're in your living room, your feet only touching the floor just now. Its dark inside, and there's little moonlight coming through the windows. You don't bother to turn on a light, and instead take yourself up the stairs. You take your time. 

The door to your bedroom remains open, and you close it after entering. Still no lights, but you know your way around enough where you don't need any. The breeze compensates where your vision fails, and you feel almost a sense of pressure around where you know your furniture to be. Its an oddly familiar feeling. 

Your hands touch the comforter of your bed, and you take off your shoes and clothes, simply dropping them on the floor, before falling into bed. It only takes a moment to tuck yourself in. Before you fall asleep though, you look at your phone one last time for the day. The time reads 12:21am, and for some reason you aren't surprised. You finally check the messages Rose left for you earlier in the day. It's kind of blurry, and you skim over most of them, but you read the last few clearly. 

TT: If you'd like to come over for brunch tomorrow, Kanaya and I would greatly appreciate it. We haven't had enough time together, just the three of us.  
TT: But if you're too busy, I understand.  


Aww, Rose wants to hang out tomorrow. You can't say no to that. You type in a response that's as coherent as you can make it. 

EB: Hey Rose, I was at Jade's today so I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier. I'll be there tomorrow.  


Good, that's that. You click off your phone and lay back in bed, taking off your glasses as you do. Man, has your bed ever felt this comfortable? You don't think so. You could totally just... 

fall asleep… 

like this… 

so… 

easy 


	4. Day 3 (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty dialogue heavy, so be ready for that.

There's a sensation by your leg. Is something vibrating? You fumble your hand around above your sheets, grabbing for the source. You grip what feels like your phone and bring it to your face, a ringtone now blaring. Someone's calling you, but you can't see who it is. You answer while getting yourself into a sitting position.

ROSE: Good morning, June. How are you feeling?  
JUNE: Mmmhn.  
ROSE: I see you've just woken up. Kanaya and I were wondering when you would contact us, though it looks like you were up late last night. May I ask how late?  
JUNE: Mhm.   
JUNE: *yawn*  
JUNE: After 12, I think?  
ROSE: Well, that means either you went to bed at a reasonable time, or you were so busy that you have no idea when you fell asleep. I'm hoping it's the former?  
JUNE: Rose, I just woke up.  
ROSE: Right, my apologies. I'll call you again when you've had some time to wake up.  


With that, the call ends, and you put your phone down. You feel around for your glasses, find them, and put them in your lap while you rub the sleep out of your eyes. You wonder what time it is as you put your glasses on and bring your phone up to your face.

The time reads 10:47am.

You groan as you realize you slept in and probably missed the brunch you said you were going to have with the Maryam-Lalondes. You feel like an asshole, but its not so late that you have to rush like you did yesterday. You swing your legs out of bed and stand up. You stretch for a minute before walking to your dresser and picking out what you're going to wear.

You probably won't be outside much today, so you can just stick with whatever's comfortable. A white tank top, blue skirt with leggings, and a light blue jacket that Callie got you. You wore this jacket to the last play you went to with them, you think. It was pretty cold in that theater, but they didn't seem to be that bothered by it. Are cherubs cold blooded? Man, you really don't know a lot about cherub physiology. 

Your clothes slip on easily, and you walk to the bathroom to take care of the next step of your morning routine. The mirror is kind of dirty, but you can still see yourself just fine. Brush teeth, comb hair, shave nonexistent facial hair, apply makeup, and you're done. You don't bother with too much makeup, just enough to pass in your eyes. 

You begin to walk downstairs as you remember that you're not having your first meal of the day by yourself. That is, if they haven't eaten without you already. You sigh, and as if on cue, pull out your phone to respond to the call you're getting. 

JUNE: Hey Rose.  
ROSE: You sound considerably more awake than our call ten minutes ago. I would have given you five more minutes, but Kanaya is insistent that I check in on you now. Can I get an estimated time of arrival?  
JUNE: Probably a few minutes?  
ROSE: Great.  
ROSE: I should mention that, given the weather as of late, you are officially given permission to appear yourself inside our home, rather than just at the front door. That is, if you can do so without making a mess of the living room.  
ROSE: No need to be so formal when we're expecting you, after all.  
JUNE: Oh, cool. I didn't even think about that, but yeah, that makes sense. I'll try to be careful with the breeze.  
ROSE: That would be appreciated. Now, I'll let you finish preparing yourself for the day. See you soon, June.  
JUNE: Bye, Rose.  


You end the call and yawn. The only thing you actually need to do before you leave is put on your shoes, which you always leave by the front door. It feels weird to go somewhere without physically stepping outside of your house, but you can always just crack open a window and leave that way. 

You slip on your sneakers, the same white ones you've been wearing for a couple years. The big change in your wardrobe felt like a necessary change to transition, but new shoes were never really a priority to you. These work with pretty much all the stuff you wear, and they're comfortable. You'll probably get a new pair similar to them when these get too worn out.

Well, that's that. You're pretty much all ready to go. You peer out your window, curious at what the weather is like. Sure enough, it's pretty windy out there. You think you see some raindrops, possibly indicating the beginning of that storm you heard about a couple of days ago. 

Well, no time to worry about something that's going to happen anyways. You open your window by a few inches, and slip your wispy essence through it. Almost immediately you're picked up by the winds, the breeze wasting no time in sweeping you away. It's not so uncomfortable this time around as it is hard to keep up with. You got scattered instantly, and you have to focus on your destination to keep things together.

Rose's living room. Brunch. That comfy couch they have. Not messing up their stuff. All those cool paintings they have. The- holy crap you need to slow down. 

You gather your unintentionally forceful wind in a cloud outside of the Maryam-Lalonde house, and carefully slip in through the several windows they left half opened for you. The different strands that make you up all come together in one spot in the center of their living room. 

Your feet touch the ground, and you look around to see if you blew anything around. Everything looks pretty ok. The decorations on the walls and pillows on their fancy couch look undisturbed. Nice. You knew you'd get the hang of this eventually.

You think you smell food? You can't tell what it is right away, but whatever it is is going to lead to your stomach growling. That's right, you're here to have brunch. You wonder what they've prepared? Rose usually cooks, but you don't think you've ever had a breakfast made by her. Or, brunch, in this case. Are those two different meals? 

KANAYA: June  


You jump and twist your body around, Kanaya standing a few feet away from you. It looks like she was reaching her hand out to touch you before you leapt away.

JUNE: Woah!  
KANAYA: Sorry I Still Forget I Do Not Make Much Noise  
KANAYA: This Is A Place Where I Live However So I Thought You Would Be Expecting Rose Or I To Be Present When You Arrived  
KANAYA: Just An Observation But You Did Look Pretty Occupied By Your Own Thoughts  
JUNE: Oh, jeez, you're right. Sorry about that, I don't even remember what I was thinking about just now.   
KANAYA: Its Fine I'm Just Glad You're Here Now  
KANAYA: I Was Close To Doing Something Overly Dramatic But Not Destructive If You Didn't Get Here Sooner  
JUNE: Haha, why?   
KANAYA: Well  
KANAYA: You See  
JUNE: Oh, wait, I get it!  
KANAYA: You Do  
JUNE: It's way past breakfast time, isn't it? You and Rose must be starving! Sorry for making you two wait so long.  
KANAYA: Yes That Is The Reason I Was Being Irrationally Impatient   
KANAYA: Because It Is Time To Eat  
KANAYA: I Am Just So Very Hungry June   
KANAYA: Let's Enter The Dining Block Immediately So We Can Begin Our Meal Together With Rose Because That Is My Number One Priority   
JUNE: You got it!  


You make your way to their dining room, which you've been in a couple times before, with Kanaya right on your heels. She's deliberately making a bit of noise behind you so you know where she is, which you think is very considerate. You turn a corner and see Rose with a handful of silverware. Looks like she's setting the table, which is big enough to fit eight or so people. She notices you two come in and begins to speak, while still placing down silverware.

ROSE: Hello, June. Brunch will be ready in a minute, so please be patient.  
JUNE: Of course I'll be patient, I made you two wait to eat! It would be pretty rude to just waltz in here after that and immediately demand food.  
JUNE: Besides, Kanaya is probably way hungrier than me. Sorry again!  
ROSE: Oh? I wasn't aware you were so ravenous, dear. You should've told me, I would've called June sooner.  


Rose has a mischievous smile on her face, and she briefly dips into the kitchen nearby, presumably to deliver the food to the table. Kanaya waits for her to come back before responding, clearing her throat in the meantime. You glance at Kanaya, and it looks like she's blushing a bit. Do these two have some inside joke that totally slipped past you? You wouldn't be surprised, it seems like the kind of thing a married couple would have.

Rose comes back out within ten seconds, carefully holding three separate plates of food. Kanaya swiftly moves in and takes one of the plates from her, responding to Rose's earlier comment. 

KANAYA: I Wouldn't Describe Myself As Ravenous So Much As Very Curious As To The Taste Of The   
KANAYA: Meal  
KANAYA: In Front Of Me  
ROSE: Oh? I see you've never had such a classic American breakfast, Kanaya. Though, I can't say I'm surprised, as I haven't either.  


The two place down the plates, and true to Rose's word, it looks like the kind of thing your dad would make you when he got a little overzealous with the protein. French toast, sausage links, eggs, and a small cluster of… potato wedges? You guess hash browns were too hard for them, though you don't blame them, you have no idea how that stuff even gets made. 

In any case, it looks delicious, and before you realize it, the table is set, and it looks like the two want you to sit across from them at the table. They've already pulled out the chairs to their spots, which are next to each other. You pull out yours, and wonder if they sit across from each other when they normally eat here. 

You get yourself situated, but before you dig in, you make sure to be respectful. Don't want to forget your manners.

JUNE: Thank you very much for the food, it looks great!   


You hear the two of them talk amongst themselves as you start to dig in. You take as big of a bite of potatoes as you can, and chew. It tastes… 

What does it taste like? Is there even any flavor to this? It looked pretty good, but maybe they just missed the salt or something. No big deal, there's four other parts to the meal. You cut off a chunk of sausage and take a big bite out of it. This… also tastes like nothing. You can feel the texture and everything, but not anything else. 

You chew your bite, waiting for the flavor to kick in. There's no way they could make something made of meat taste like nothing. You direct your fork to the eggs, and get as much on your fork as you can before delivering it to your mouth. Yep, nothing here too.

It's not like any of this is bad. You can tell you're hungry, so you keep shoving more food into your mouth, but none of it tastes like anything whatsoever. You look up from your plate and see Rose and Kanaya eating as well, both taking their time and not rushing like you were. These two could do anything and make it look elegant.

You could understand if Kanaya misunderstood a recipe for a human meal, but Rose looks like she's enjoying it. Is it just you that isn't getting anything out of this?

You douse your french toast in syrup from a cute little bottle they probably got just for you. You lift a chunk of it to your mouth and taste. The syrup is the only thing that comes through, as you can just barely get the hint of something sugary. 

What was the last thing you ate before this? The steak dinner Jade made you, right? Can you remember what that tasted like at all? It was probably salty, but you kind of thought Jade under seasoned it. The potatoes and veggies didn't taste like much either, now that you think about it. You were too busy shoving it down your gullet to pay attention.

Huh.

ROSE: What do you think, June? Is our all American breakfast up to your standard? The both of us worked on this, so we'd like to hear your feedback.  
KANAYA: Oh Please We Both Know You Did Most Of The Work, I Just Made The Frenched Toast Or Whatever Silly Thing You Call It  
ROSE: Yes, and that's the hardest part. Also the tastiest part, in my opinion.   
KANAYA: I Thought It Was Supposed To Be Soft  
KANAYA: Is Yours Not Soft Because Mine Are  
ROSE: Mine are soft Kanaya, don't worry.  
ROSE: How about yours June, is your french toast sufficiently soft enough, or do you need enough syrup to turn it into mush?  
JUNE: Mine are soft enough, thanks. If this is your first time making french toast, you did a really good job, Kanaya.  
ROSE: See?  
KANAYA: Thank You June I Was Hoping Yours Were Soft As Well  
ROSE: Oh? Is that really what you were hoping for?  
KANAYA: !  
KANAYA: Rose Please It Is Too Early For That  
JUNE: Too early for what?  
ROSE: Nothing, June.  
KANAYA: Don't Worry About It  
JUNE: Haha, it's ok. You don't have to share your inside jokes with me, I know that's like a staple of married life. It's pretty cool you two have stuff like that.  


Rose gives Kanaya a very smug look, but it disappears a few seconds after Kanaya returns it. The two have a few facial expression changes, and you slowly eat the rest of your meal as you watch what looks like a psychic conversation. There's some hand movements thrown in there, and before you know it, you've finished all of your french toast. You dump all of the syrup on your sausage and potatoes, since that's really the only thing you can taste right now.

You start chewing nonchalantly as the two notice what you've just done. Looks like they weren't expecting that. Does this count as a prank, dumping syrup all over this classic meal they've made for you? Sure, why not. You give yourself some mental prank points just because you can.

KANAYA: June  
JUNE: Mhm?  
KANAYA: May I Kindly Ask What The Purpose Was To Completely Drenching Everything On Your Plate In Syrup  
KANAYA: Is This Something That Is Commonly Done Or Is This Just A Preference Of Yours   
JUNE: Nah, not really.  
KANAYA: Not Really To Which  
JUNE: Both.  
KANAYA: I See  
KANAYA: Actually No I Do Not See At All  
KANAYA: I Would Like To Ask The Question Of Why Once More  
JUNE: Oh, just kinda felt like it. No reason.  
KANAYA: Truly  
JUNE: Uh huh.  


Kanaya takes a moment to look at her plate. She takes a tentative bite of french toast, and chews carefully. Without looking back up, she speaks. 

KANAYA: I Suddenly Understand Nothing About Human Cuisine And I'm Starting To Wonder If I Ever Did  
ROSE: Don't be discouraged by June's uncommon eating habits, Kanaya. As long as she's happy with the food, that's what matters.  
KANAYA: I Suppose You're Right  
JUNE: Aww.  
KANAYA: Yes  
KANAYA: Well  


Kanaya looks back and forth between you and her wife, a slight blush starting to show on her face. 

KANAYA: *Ahem*  
KANAYA: It Looks Like You've Mostly Finished June  
JUNE: Yeah, I think I'm done. Thanks for the meal! I don't really know why, but it looks like you two did all this for me, so I really appreciate it.  
ROSE: This isn't the only thing we had in mind, June. Kanaya actually had something else planned, if you're fine with sticking around a bit longer.  
JUNE: Oh, sure. What did you have in mind?  
KANAYA: Oh Nothing Much Just A Certain Film I've Had My Eye On For A While That I Thought You Might Enjoy  
KANAYA: It's Called "Wherein Two Compatriots Fight For Their Respective Rights To Succession But Are Halted By An Evil Sorceress; There Are Two Love Interests, One Of Whom-"  
JUNE: Ok, jeez, you don't have to tell me the whole thing, I was gonna watch it anyways.  
KANAYA: Oh Good I Was Worried You Would Decline On Account Of The Obvious Troll Origins   
JUNE: Nah, I've wanted to dip my toe into troll movies for a while. I've been watching a lot of, well, human movies, and a lot of them start to blend together after a while.  
JUNE: Maybe something different will be good for me!  
KANAYA: Excellent  
KANAYA: If You'll Excuse Me I'll Put Away The Dishes And Set Up The Film So We Can Watch In The Respite Block  
ROSE: Oh, don't worry about the dishes, I can clear those up. You two have fun with the movie, I'll catch up soon.  
JUNE: Thanks Rose!   
KANAYA: Are You Sure Rose   
KANAYA: I Would Be More Than Willing To Help With The Dishes   
ROSE: Nope, I've got it covered. Now, don't keep June waiting.  
KANAYA: Yes  
KANAYA: I'll Do That  


The three of you get up from your seats, and Kanaya wastes no time in moving over to your side of the table. 

KANAYA: I Know You Were There Only Minutes Ago But In Case You Forgot The Respite Block Is This Way June  
JUNE: Haha, I know Kanaya. Lead the way!  


Kanaya leads you at a very leisurely pace back to their living room, where they have an average but perfectly serviceable home theater setup. Across from their very long couch is a tv stand with some drawers and speakers built into it. Neat. The tv on top of the stand is pretty much what you were expecting. Nothing too fancy, but just big enough where you don't complain. 

Kanaya begins to rummage around one of the drawers, presumably to look for the movie. You consider what your watching experience is going to be like, as you've never watched a movie with Kanaya before. She's probably going to be way better than Karkat, as he usually pauses every ten minutes or so to point something out that he thinks is important. That's definitely fun, but it does make it harder to enjoy the movie itself. 

Kanaya seems like the kind of person to watch the whole thing without talking, but after the movie is done, she could talk about it for a long time, even if it's not that great. It might be tough to keep up with her, given how you usually don't remember all the details of stuff you watch, even if you watched something recently. 

Something makes a clicking noise near Kanaya, and she turns to the tv, a remote in her hand. She turns it on, and begins to flick through menus and adjusting settings. You don't think it usually takes this long to set up a movie. Maybe she's not that familiar with human technology yet? You'll try not to judge, you still don't really know a lot about troll stuff yet. 

The screen of the tv flickers to the title screen of what looks like a very complicated troll film, and Kanaya turns around to face you. 

KANAYA: Ok The Movie Is Ready  
KANAYA: Rose Will Probably Be Here Soon But You Are Welcome To Make Yourself Comfortable In The Meantime  


She walks a few feet past you and sits down on the couch, keeping a very tight posture despite all the space available on the couch. There's lots of pillows and blankets adorning it though, so it doesn't look odd for only one person to use it. That was probably intentional. 

It might be rude to purposefully sit far away from her though, so you walk over and sit down on the space right next to her. Oh, wow, this couch is super comfy. You lean back and stretch outwards, letting out a somewhat embarrassing sound. Its easy to sink into the folds of the cushions and blankets, and pretty soon you've gotten comfortable. You glance over at Kanaya, who seems to have sat up even straighter than before. 

JUNE: Am I sitting too close?  
KANAYA: No You Are Fine  
JUNE: You don't have to worry about poking me in the ribs or anything, there's enough blankets and stuff, so you can stretch out a little.  
JUNE: Um, if you want.  
ROSE: Indeed, feel free to relax.  


Rose walks in with a book in her arm. Looks like she heard the last part of what you said. Rose strolls past you and takes up the space on the left side of Kanaya. Looks like Kanaya is in the middle again. You let out a chuckle despite yourself. 

KANAYA: I Am Perfectly Relaxed Thank You Very Much  
KANAYA: But If You Insist  


Kanaya forcibly changes her posture, and slowly eases herself into a more relaxed position. Doesn't exactly look as comfy as she could be, but at least her back is touching the couch now. She clicks a button on the remote, and the movie starts to play. You turn your gaze towards the television, anticipation and curiosity just beginning to excite you. 

\----- 

It's been twenty minutes since the movie started, and your eyes have been glued to the screen. Who knew troll romance and drama could be so engaging? You barely know these characters, or even what's happening, and yet you're dying to know what's going to happen at the end. If you were less patient, you'd forcibly wrest control of the remote from Kanaya and skip right to the end. 

There's a strange ticklish feeling on your right side. You lift your arm a bit and realize that you've been sweating. Crap. You put on deodorant this morning, but you really don't want Kanaya or Rose to see you sweating like a gross weirdo. You turn to Kanaya, who has also been concentrating on the movie. 

JUNE: Hey Kanaya?  
KANAYA: Oh Yes June  
KANAYA: Is There A Problem  
JUNE: No, I was just wondering if it was ok to take off my jacket. I'm getting pretty hot, but I'm only wearing a tank top underneath, so I don't want to weird you two out or anything.  
KANAYA: Oh   
KANAYA: Well  
KANAYA: I Suppose That Would Be Fine  
KANAYA: It Is Most Likely My Fault Anyways As We Purposefully Keep Our Hive Warmer During Winter Since Otherwise I Get Very Cold  
KANAYA: There Is Usually Enough Sunlight To Keep My Temperature Normal During Most Parts Of The Year   
KANAYA: But There Has Not Been Much Of That Lately So I Apologize  
JUNE: Hey, it's fine. If anything, it should be me apologizing to you for the bad weather, haha.  


You take your jacket off, revealing your simple tank top underneath. You let out a sigh of relief. It feels like you can actually breathe now. You place your coat down neatly next to you on your right, since Kanaya is on your left. The movie is still going, but when you turn back, Kanaya is looking at you. She snaps her gaze back to the screen immediately and clears her throat. You wonder what that was about. 

You do the same, and turn back to the movie. Oh man, you missed the past like, two minutes. Oh well, you'll understand what happened from context pretty soon. 

\----- 

Man, you're still too hot! And why is there such a pulsing in your temples? You're trying to focus on the movie, but it feels like your body's working overtime even though you're just sitting here. It's really hard to concentrate like this. 

You remember a conversation you had with Jade a couple months ago about the way the body regulates itself. There was something about your body generating a lot of heat when it does a lot of stuff cause of the energy it burns doing that stuff. A detail that comes to mind is that the heart usually pumps blood extra hard during those times to keep up with circulation or whatever. 

You can guess at the reason for why, so that's not something you should ask about. What if your heart is working too hard? You would be able to check, right? If you can put your hand on your chest without it looking weird, you'd be able to tell. 

You know Rose can't really see you past Kanaya, so you glance at Kanaya. Yup, her focus is on the tv. You press your hand against your chest, and feel for your heartbeat. 

Yeah, that sucker is really pumping. This is probably, what, twice as fast as it usually is? You think? Either way, there's your answer. You remove your hand and set it back down on the couch. Another quick glance. Looks like she didn't see you, great. That would've been awkward to explain. 

You won't be able to focus on the movie like this. You guess you can mention this to Kanaya so you can get up and get a glass of water or something to cool you down. When was the last time you had a soda? Do they even have soda? Probably not, they're definitely too fancy for that stuff. You'll have to show them how good soda is for them, actually. You've become pretty determined on your stance of the health benefits of sugary carbonated beverages as of late. 

That'll have to wait for later, though. For now, a break. 

JUNE: Hey Kanaya, mind if we pause the movie for a minute?  
KANAYA: What Why This Is Such A Good Part  
KANAYA: Actually You Look Kind Of Exhausted For Some Reason  
KANAYA: Are You Okay  
JUNE: Yeah, I'm just still way too hot. Not really sure why.  
KANAYA: Let Me See  


Kanaya reaches a hand over to you and places it on your forehead, presumably to check your temperature. Her hand is pretty cold, but it actually feels incredible. Her comment earlier about being too cold now makes a lot of sense. You won't have to get up at all if it's like this. 

JUNE: Holy crap Kanaya, your hand feels really good.  
KANAYA: Excuse Me  
JUNE: I didn't even know you were this cold all the time, how do you deal with it?  
KANAYA: Its Something I Got Used To Fairly Quickly  
KANAYA: By The Time We Left The Meteor I Was Already Accustomed To It  
KANAYA: Though It Does Feel Quite Nice To Be Warmed Up By External Sources   
JUNE: Well, since I'm already way too hot, let me help you out.  
KANAYA: No Wait  


You've already grabbed her arm and moved yourself closer to her. You're almost pressing up against her now, and you've squished her arm against your torso. You think you'd normally be embarrassed by this, but your brain is pretty fried from the heat. Her arm is like a squishy pillow that saps the heat right out of you, and can't help yourself from leaning into her. You let out an audible breath of satisfaction. 

JUNE: Sorry Kanaya, you're just. Really cold.   
KANAYA: Yes  
KANAYA: That Is A Thing That I Am  
KANAYA: (Rose)  
KANAYA: (Rose Help)  
ROSE: (You've dug your own grave, now you have to lie in it.)  
JUNE: Mmmmm.  
JUNE: Hey Kanaya?  
KANAYA: Yes June  
JUNE: You feel really nice…  
KANAYA: !  
KANAYA: Yes Thank You June  
KANAYA: Your Overwhelming Warmth Is Very Nice As Well But Also Slightly Concerning  
KANAYA: If You Would Like To Continue To Use My Arm As A Cooling Device You Are More Than Welcome To  
JUNE: Thanks.  


You lean into Kanaya, despite some small part of you yelling to keep your distance. The beating of your heart isn't slowing down any, but you still feel your body relaxing. Your vision is starting to blur, and you realize your eyelids are really heavy all of a sudden. That's weird, you shouldn't be tired yet. It's way too early in the day to fall asleep. 

You have a hard time articulating yourself right now, but you still want to express your appreciation to Kanaya, so you try to force out some words of thanks. 

JUNE: Hey Kanaya?  
KANAYA: You Know You Don't Have To Call My Name Every Time You Wish To Grab My Attention   
KANAYA: But Yes What Is It June  
JUNE: I, uhm   


Shoot, you forgot what you were going to say. The only things you're able to actually focus on right now are how nice Kanaya's hand feels and the sound of her voice. You don't think you've felt this out of it in a while. Wait, is she talking right now? 

KANAYA: June  
JUNE: Huh?  
KANAYA: You Look Incredibly Tired   
KANAYA: If You're Going To Fall Asleep Can You At Least Give Me A Warning Of Some Kind Beforehand  
JUNE: Oh, sure.  
JUNE: Yeah, I think I'm, uh,  
JUNE: Mmhm.  
KANAYA: Are You About To Pass Out Right Now June  
JUNE: Yeah.  
KANAYA: Well Thanks For The Heads Up  


You mumble something back at her, but you don't think it was anything even resembling words. Have you ever felt this comfortable? You don't think so. Was Kanaya's skin always this soft? Man, you're so jealous of Rose. 

Your eyelids are really heavy now. Your senses are starting to fade out, and the last thing you hear before they leave you completely is the sound of Rose laughing. 

\----- 

Rose closes her book, finally reaching the end. She didn't think she would get to the end of it today, but June has been sleeping considerably longer than Rose thought she would. She looks over at Kanaya, who has June's head in her lap. She's quietly running a hand through June's hair, occasionally pressing her palm against her forehead. 

Kanaya looks content. There's a subtle smile on her face that says she could continue like this for another two hours. Unfortunately, Rose has started to become restless, and she decides that it's time to confirm her suspicions. She speaks to her wife softly, so as to not rouse June. 

ROSE: Kanaya, would you mind if I made a phone call?  
KANAYA: I Wouldn't But Please Don't Be Too Loud  
KANAYA: June's Fever Seems To Have Calmed Down But She Is Still Quite Warm So I Would Like To Let Her Rest  
KANAYA: She Is Also Very Adorable Like This But That Is Besides The Point  
ROSE: Astute observations as usual. I'll make it quick.  
KANAYA: Thank You  


Rose picks up her phone and dials Dirk's number after setting her ringer to silent. It buzzes once before it's picked up. 

ROSE: Hello, Dirk. I have some news on the June front.  
DIRK: So do I, but you go first.  
ROSE: I don't see how you would, considering I'm fairly certain June is just sick. Not entirely sure how, but that's what all signs point to. I'm also fairly certain there's no alternate June's around, either in her mind or outside of it.  
DIRK: You said she's sick? You've seen it, then.  
ROSE: Of course Dirk, how could I not have? She looks half dead, and she ran a fever right before falling unconscious on our couch. She's doing better now, but you'd have to be blind to not see her condition.  
DIRK: Yeah, she's sick alright. How pale is she?  
ROSE: Very.   
DIRK: Looks like she's getting worse.  
ROSE: That's concerning, but we'll get to that in a second. Before we move on, can we acknowledge that your Ultimate Self business was just a projection of your own issues onto June?  
DIRK: Sure, whatever. There's something more important than that right now.  
ROSE: And what is that?   
DIRK: Have you been paying attention to the weather?  
ROSE: Its been in my periphery. Why?  
DIRK: Well, do you also remember that massive tornado that came out of June's mouth?  
ROSE: You don't have to spell everything out for me, just get to the point.   
DIRK: Yeah. It looks like June's windy outburst is still out there and is actively making the weather worse.  
ROSE: Please don't tell me this is just wild speculation.  
DIRK: You know I wouldn't say something like this without sufficient reasoning.  


Rose sighs, and she hears June move around in her sleep. Kanaya lets her readjust and continues to run her fingers through June's hair. 

ROSE: I suppose you're right. I'll take your word for it now, but I'll fact check your information later.  
DIRK: Noted. This is just a hypothesis of mine, but it's possible that June's worsening health is linked to the intensity of the weather, meaning we have more than one incentive to keep her healthy.  
ROSE: We were going to do that anyways, Dirk.  
DIRK: Were you? We've never encountered a god-tier with a sickness before, especially one like this.  
ROSE: Like this?  
DIRK: The fact that she's sick at all should be deeply worrying, but the further complications of her depression storm possibly fucking up the atmosphere make this more of a priority than you might think.  
DIRK: There are a lot of things we don't know about this situation, Rose. This is something we should be on top of, even if June wants to act like there's nothing going on.  
ROSE: Well, I can't rightfully disagree with you there.   
ROSE: I do feel you're overcomplicating things, though. Wouldn't calling in a favor with Jane and asking her to cure whatever is ailing June be the simplest and easiest solution here?  
DIRK: I've already asked her, and she says there's nothing wrong with her. Apparently, June met with her earlier in the day before she came over to my place and asked her to do exactly what you've just described. Jane said she couldn't sense anything wrong with her whatsoever.  
DIRK: June is aware that she's sick, and tried to deal with it discreetly. When that didn't work, did she come clean and admit that there's something wrong with her health? No, she straight up ignored it and came right on over to build robots with me for two hours.  
DIRK: Tell me, how long do you think she's actually been sick for? How bad would it have to get before she admits she's not well?  
ROSE: I get your point, you've sufficiently worried me. I'll talk to June when she wakes up and see if we can figure something out.  
DIRK: Just be careful. Remember what she did when I asked her about it.  
ROSE: Yes, well, that was you, Dirk. I'll talk to you later.  


Rose ends the call, and places her phone next to her. She looks over, and notices June squirming around in her sleep. Rose stands up and walks a few paces over to Kanaya and June. 

ROSE: Mind if I wake her up? We both know she needs her rest, but there is something important I need to talk to her about.   
KANAYA: Does It Have to Be Right This Second  
ROSE: No, but I'd rather discuss things with her sooner rather than later, and I'd rather not put my nerves under any more duress.   
ROSE: If it's any consolation, there's nothing saying you couldn't keep her just as close as she is now while we talk.  
KANAYA: I Suppose You're Right   
KANAYA: However I Did Hear Your Side Of The Call And If That's What You Were Planning To Talk About It Might Be A Good Idea To Give Her A Few Minutes To Wake Up Before Diving Into That Topic  
ROSE: Indeed. You know, it's almost ridiculous how often you remind me of why I married you.  
KANAYA: Please Don't Tell Me You Married Me Simply Because I Have Basic Common Sense   
ROSE: I married you for several other reasons as well.  
KANAYA: Rose  
ROSE: Yes dear?  
KANAYA: Very Rarely You Inexplicably Make Me Think My Attraction Towards You Was Pitch The Entire Time  
ROSE: Is this one of those times?  
KANAYA: This Is One Of Those Times  
KANAYA: Also You're Going To Wake Up June  
ROSE: That was kind of the point.  


June is starting to stir, and blinks open her eyes, slowly regaining consciousness. She fumbles around with her hands before pressing one of them against Kanaya's leg, shifting her weight and sitting herself up. It's only once she actually looks around that she sees how close she is to Kanaya. 

JUNE: Woah, hey Kanaya. And Rose. Sorry I kind of, um, fell asleep during the movie. Don't know why I was so tired.  
ROSE: Its quite alright June, we were happy to accommodate you. How are you feeling?  
JUNE: My head is still kind of foggy, but other than that I think I feel fine. How long was I asleep for?  
KANAYA: Two Hours   
JUNE: Two hours!? Crap, I have to get going right now, I told Jade I was going to come over today!   
KANAYA: June Its Quite Alright   
KANAYA: You Don't Have To Leave Immediately Do You  
JUNE: Well, I guess not, but what if she thinks I was lying to her?  
ROSE: You do have a phone, right? I think Jade would be satisfied with a few messages telling her what's going on.  
JUNE: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right. Whew.  


June breathes an audible sigh of relief. Rose sits down on the right side of her, placing June in the middle this time. June is already pulling out her phone, bringing up pesterchum. Rose and Kanaya give each other a knowing look, both patiently waiting for June to finish composing her message. It takes less than 15 seconds, and June only seems to realize that she's between the Maryam-Lalondes after she's done. 

JUNE: Ok, I guess that's that.  
ROSE: So it is.  
KANAYA: Indeed.  
JUNE: Oh, um. Hey? You two are pretty close.  
ROSE: That we are.  
KANAYA: It Might Be More Accurate To Say That You Are The One Who Is Close To Us  
JUNE: Haha? You two are acting kind of weird right now.  
KANAYA: June Are You Not Aware That You've Spent The Past Ninety Or So Minutes With Your Head Resting On My Lap  
JUNE: Uhmmm. No? Sorry, was I not supposed to?  
KANAYA: Do You Think I Would Have Allowed It If I Disliked It  
JUNE: Oh, well, I guess not.   
JUNE: Was it really that comfortable though? I never took off my glasses, so were they like, poking into your legs at all? Actually, now that I think about it, I made you miss the movie, didn't I? Jeez, you were looking forward to that. I'm sorry, Kanaya.   
KANAYA: Don't Worry June You Are Mistaken  
JUNE: You didn't want to watch the movie?  
KANAYA: I Wanted To Watch It With You  
KANAYA: I Specifically Purchased That Film Because I Thought It Would Be Something We Would Both Enjoy  
JUNE: Oh! Wow, that's really nice of you. I don't really know what to say.   
JUNE: Wait, that's not true. I totally do know what to say. Thank you, Kanaya.   
KANAYA: I Would Say You Were Welcome But I Did It Just As Much For My Own Enjoyment As I Did Yours  
JUNE: But you still did part of it for me, right? That was really nice.  
JUNE: Oh, and, you two made me breakfast? Or, uh, brunch and everything also. Don't tell me you're trying to butter me up for something, haha. If you want a favor, all you have to do is ask.  
KANAYA: We Don't Have Anything To Ask Of You June  
ROSE: Actually, there is one thing you could do.  
KANAYA: There Is  
JUNE: Oh man, I totally called it. What is it?  
ROSE: This is quite important, so I'd like you to promise you'll follow through on this before I say it.  
KANAYA: Rose Are You Sure About This  
JUNE: Oh, come on, I know Rose wouldn't tell me to do something unreasonable. I'm ready for it, lay it on me!  
ROSE: Its simple, really.  
ROSE: Please, try to rely on others sometimes, June.  
JUNE: Sure! Wait, what?  


June deflates like a poked balloon. The expression on her face changes from one of excitement to one of hesitance and confusion. Rose slowly moves her hands towards June's and wraps her fingers around them, a gentle and knowing smile on her face. 

ROSE: You know you don't have to don't have to do everything yourself. If you're feeling tired, or the worries of being an immortal being with superpowers are weighing you down, then it's ok to rely on others. It's ok to rely on us. Like it or not, June, we are going to be here for you.  
JUNE: I, uhm, well, yeah I mean,   
JUNE: Wow, where did all of this even come from?  


Kanaya places her hand on June's shoulder, and she turns around in response, her hands escaping Rose's. 

KANAYA: June Let Me Ask You A Question   
JUNE: O-ok?  
KANAYA: Why Do You Think We've Been Spending So Much Time With You As Of Late  
JUNE: Oh, I hadn't actually thought about it that much, really. Maybe you liked having a goofball around? Sorry, I don't know.  
KANAYA: You Are A Ball Of Goofs But That Is Not Why  
KANAYA: I Will Make This Very Clear So You Know Exactly What I Mean  
KANAYA: The Reason Is That We Care About You And It Makes Us Happy When You Are Around  
KANAYA: The Fact That You Seem To Have Not Picked Up On This Doesn't Upset Us At All, Before You Get Worked Up About That  
JUNE: Wow. I don't really know how to, um, respond to this.  
JUNE: All of the stuff you said, it's,  
JUNE: That's just, um…   
JUNE: I really…   


Kanaya's eyes widen in alarm at the sudden tears dripping from June's eyes. June lets out a very audible sniffle as the tears start to fall, landing on the blankets and being absorbed by the fabric. June reaches her hands up to her face, only just realising what she's doing. 

JUNE: Hah, ah, I'm sorry, I don't really know why I'm-  


Kanaya reaches over and pulls June into an embrace, placing a steady hand on the back of her head. June doesn't protest, and there's a moment of silence. Kanaya almost begins to worry that she pushed things too hard, but June slowly, audibly starts to cry into Kanaya's shirt, hugging her back. Rose scoots over to June and places a hand on her shoulder. 

Rose's whispers of comforting sentiments and reassurance work their way past the sobs, and the three of them sit like that for a few minutes. Kanaya absentmindedly pulls June closer to her, her fingers lightly moving here and there through June's hair. Rose talking to June, keeping her in the moment. The words they exchange don't stick with either of them. The tone is what carries the message, and Rose's message comes out as clear as could be. 

Soon, June breaks the near silence. 

JUNE: You know, I think I heard somewhere that hrt makes it easier to cry. Think that's why it just kinda came out like that?  
ROSE: Who knows? It could be one of several reasons.   
JUNE: Yeah, maybe.   
JUNE: …   
JUNE: I think it feels good to cry sometimes.  
KANAYA: Was This One Of Those Times  
JUNE: Yeah, this was one of those times.  


June sniffles, her tears having run out. She carefully breaks from Kanaya, wiping her face with the front of her tank top. 

JUNE: Sorry for getting your shirt dirty.  
KANAYA: Its Perfectly Fine  
KANAYA: I Have Many Shirts   
JUNE: You do? I thought you only had like, four different shirts.  
ROSE: She does only have four shirts, she just has a lot of them.  
JUNE: What? Don't you make, like, tons of clothes in your spare time? I thought you'd have like, a massive wardrobe full of shirts alone.  
KANAYA: Most Of The Clothing I Make For Myself Is Meant For Special Occasions Such As When Rose And I Accomplished A Ten Win Streak In First Party Arrivals  
ROSE: Jade really had no idea who she was messing with.  
JUNE: Haha, you still haven't dropped that yet? How long has that been going on for?  
ROSE: When did we arrive on Earth C?  
JUNE: Ok, so since forever then.  
JUNE: You know, I think Jade always got so confused at how you two always got there before her when she can literally teleport. It just didn't make any sense to her.  
KANAYA: And That Is Why We Keep Winning  
JUNE: Hahaha, oh man, you're so right. Maybe I should give her some pointers on how to finally topple the reigning champs?  
ROSE: You're fully welcome to, though I doubt anything will threaten our inevitable victory. When it comes to arriving at social events before anyone else, we are simply the best there is.  


June lets out a big, hearty laugh, and any tension left in the air breaks. She wipes off any remaining tears from her face, and after a moment of consideration, tentatively places one of her hands over Rose's. Rose glances at June, who is looking suspiciously at anything that isn't Rose. A grin makes its way to her face, and she dives right up to June, gracefully planting a kiss on her cheek. 

June blinks in surprise. In disbelief she turns her head over to Rose, carefully places a hand on her cheek, where a visible mark has been left, and begins to blush a bright red. 

JUNE: Ah.  
KANAYA: I Can't Believe You Rose  
KANAYA: We Both Agreed I Would Get The First Kiss  
JUNE: You what?  
ROSE: I apologize, it was extremely tempting, far too much to pass up. I'll cede the next one to you.  
KANAYA: I Suppose I Can Live With That  
KANAYA: June Would You Mind Looking My Way For A Moment   
JUNE: Oh, ok-  


June turns to Kanaya, and immediately finds her lips connecting with Kanaya's. It's over before she can process it, and it takes her a moment to catch up. Unlike Rose, Kanaya hasn't retreated any, and is still just centimeters away from June's still surprised face. Her face flushes a slightly deeper shade of red and she opens her mouth to say something. Only gibberish comes out, with the occasional word breaking up the monotony. 

After a moment, June backs away, clears her throat, and collects her thoughts. 

JUNE: Hey, so, can I ask a question?  
ROSE: Of course.  
JUNE: This is, like, a romance thing, right?  
ROSE: Oh my god, June. Yes, this is very much a romance thing. It took you this long to notice our advances?  
JUNE: What do you mean? Neither of you have kissed me before!  
ROSE: How many times have we held hands, June?  
JUNE: I don't know, a lot? I thought you were just getting more comfortable with me!   
KANAYA: Well I Suppose This Explains Why We Were Making Very Little Headway In Our Endeavors  
JUNE: Which endeavors?  
KANAYA: We Have Been Actively Trying To Court You For Two And A Half Months  
JUNE: What!!  
ROSE: I honestly thought it would take at least another month or two.  
JUNE: No, ok, I know I'm dense but I'm not *that* dense! There's no way I wouldn't have noticed something like that!  
ROSE: June, we invited you over this morning to have a brunch that we made for you, just the three of us, with a movie afterwards that involved you being in very close proximity with us. What part of that doesn't strike you as at least somewhat romantic?  
JUNE: I don't know, I was just happy you two wanted to spend more time with me. I wasn't really thinking about why.  
JUNE: I know it's kind of obvious, but I was trying really, really hard to become a part of everyone's lives after being pretty much MIA after so long. I know everyone's been busy with their own stuff, but it felt like I had to really work for it any time I wanted to meet with someone. It made me feel really good when you invited me to do anything, cause that meant that you wanted me there, not just the other way around.  
JUNE: Man, that makes me sound like such an asshole, but I don't know a better way to say it.  
KANAYA: Trust Me When I Say You Are Definitely Not An Asshole  
KANAYA: I Was In A Similar Situation When I Was Still On Alternia  
JUNE: Really?  
KANAYA: Yes  
KANAYA: I Spent A Significant Amount Of Time Inserting Myself Into The Lives Of My Friends In Attempts To Both Better Them And Their Relationships With Each Other  
KANAYA: My Presence Was Rarely Appreciated But That Did Not Stop Me From At Least Trying  
KANAYA: In Hindsight My Motivation For Doing So Was As Much To Make Myself Closer To Them As It Was To Make Them Closer To Each Other  
KANAYA: Though It Rarely Ended Up Happening As I Hoped It Would  
JUNE: Wow, I'm sorry that happened to you, Kanaya. I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to be close friends with you.  
JUNE: Or, um, whatever this is. What is the thing that we are? All three of us, that is. Is it ok for people who are married to date other people?  
ROSE: June, do I need to have the "We Are Gods" talk with you again?  
JUNE: Oh, no, that's fine. I'm just making sure we're all on the same page.  
JUNE: But, yeah, what would you call this? You two are married, so am I just kind of, here? How does this work?  
ROSE: It can work however you want it to work. You don't need to put a label on this if you don't want to.  
JUNE: I guess, but it would probably be good to have some kind of shorthand, right? I would get really embarrassed if I had to call you "the two people who I kiss every now and then even though they're married" in conversation.  
KANAYA: That Would Be Quite The Mouthful  


June fiddles with her fingers, her head filled with thoughts about what's just transpired. An idea pops into her head, and her cheeks begin to flush again just thinking about it. She speaks to both of them at once. 

JUNE: Hey, um, while I'm thinking about what to call this, can we kiss again? You know, to give me more time to think.   


Rose and Kanaya glance at each other, then back at June. Rose scoots herself right up to June's side while Kanaya closes back in for another kiss, not saying anything. 

ROSE: We'll give you as much time to think as you want, June.  


\----- 

June fits her jacket over her shoulders as she prepares to leave the Maryam-Lalonde residence. Several lipstick marks from Rose and Kanaya permeate her face and some parts of her neck, though she’s only vaguely aware of it. The two are standing next to each other close by, having just said their goodbyes. June smiles and waves at them, her body shifting blue, and before they know it, she’s disappeared into the wind and escaped through their barely open windows. 

A few seconds pass after June’s exit, and the couple turn to look at each other before speaking. 

ROSE: Well, that's that. I suppose we could’ve executed that better, but I’m not going to complain considering the emotional roller coaster I imagine June’s been on lately.   
KANAYA: I Was About To Say That Sounds Like You’re Exaggerating But One Emotional Moment With Dirk Seems To Count For Several Emotional Moments With Anyone Else  
ROSE: Let's be thankful to Jade for doing some of the heavy lifting for us. From the looks of things, she’s the main reason June was able to come see us today.   
KANAYA: Sure  
KANAYA: Can I Ask Why You Decided Not To Question Her About Her Vague And Unsettling Illness We Know Nothing About  
ROSE: There’s nothing saying we can’t bring it up tomorrow.  
ROSE: Also, what can I say? We had a good mood going.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad I sat on this one for a while, I rethought how I was going to do the latter half of this chapter and I revised it today, which is why this is Part 1. Part 2 will also be considerably longer than it otherwise would have been, but you'll see why that is when we get there.
> 
> Also, I read all the comments, I just have no idea what to say or how to say it 90% of the time. But I do appreciate everything, so this is both a proactive and retroactive "thank you very much" to everyone that's commented or will comment.


	5. Day 3 (Part 2)

You linger in the winds for a while, still reeling from what happened earlier. You knew they liked you, but not to that extent. You never figured out a term for what to describe your relationship with them either, you were way too occupied to be thinking clearly.

You'll think about all of that later, since you figure Rose and Kanaya will be wanting to see you more from now on. For now, you should focus on your destination. Where were you even going? You had something else planned for today that felt like it was important.

Jade! Of course, you asked her if you could drop by again today. You're feeling a lot better after this morning, but you don't want to cancel your plans with Jade. The only reason you got out of bed yesterday was because of her, and more importantly, she's your sister. You shouldn't let her down.

The different strands of your essence coalesce and join together, manifesting after some concentration right in front of the front door to Jade's lab. The cold wind immediately starts biting at you, and you press the doorbell before shoving your hands in your pockets. It's still snowing here, and if anything, there's more of it today than there was yesterday. You're going to be inside most of today, so you're trying not to regret your pitiful two layers of clothing, but in the current moment, it makes you wish you had worn something more resistant to the elements.

A bark from Jade's dog on the other side of the door reminds you of yesterday, and just as you remember his name is Ruffles, the door opens. You take a look at Jade, who has just opened the door for you. Striped shirt, overalls, no ponytail. Much more comfortable looking than her lab gear.

JUNE: Hey Jade!  
JADE: Hey June, welc-  
JADE: Pfff. June. Oh my god.  
JUNE: What?   
JADE: Your face-  


Jade breaks out into a laugh that quickly turns hysterical. Is there something wrong with your face? Damn, maybe your makeup got messed up earlier. You pull out your phone slower than usual on account of your cold hands, and open the camera to selfie mode. You see-

Oh, god dammit. There are green and purple kiss marks all over your face, and even some on your neck. This is so embarrassing. You feel a blush rise to your cheeks and don't even try to attempt to cover yourself as you walk into the lab, letting Jade close the door behind you. She's still laughing. Ruffles, helpful as always, licks your cold hands, making them slightly less cold. 

This is pretty much your fault for not looking in a mirror or making a pit stop at home before you came here. You guess your new relationship status with the Maryam-Lalondes won't be a secret for long, if it ever was. Oh, well. You should probably explain this to Jade so she doesn't get any weird ideas.

JUNE: Ok, I'll admit that I probably should've cleaned up a bit before coming here, but in my defense, my brain was totally fried on account of the obvious stuff that happened.  
JUNE: Which was just kissing! There was nothing else, before you ask!  
JADE: Hehehehe, ok June. What would you have done if you were going to see someone else like this?  
JUNE: Well, probably died from embarrassment. Thankfully I'm only dying a little bit, since it's you.   
JADE: Flattery isn't gonna make me ask fewer questions, you know!  
JUNE: Crap.  
JADE: Don't worry, I won't grill you for answers right away. I'll at least let you get cleaned up first!   
JUNE: Oh, thanks. Where's your bathroom?  
JADE: I'll show you!  


Jade begins to lead you down a corridor you haven't been through before. You follow, looking at your surroundings as you continue to chat.

JADE: Soooooo, how did it happen?  
JUNE: The kiss stuff?  
JADE: Yes, the kiss stuff, you doof!  
JUNE: Oh, man, I don't even know. I fell asleep on their couch, and Kanaya let me rest my head on her lap, and we talked about stuff, I cried a little bit, we hugged, and then they started kissing me.  
JUNE: Also, apparently they've been trying to, like, seduce me for two months?  
JADE: Holy shit.  
JUNE: I know, right?  
JADE: June, that sounds awesome! I had no idea they were into you.   
JUNE: Well, neither did I, until today.  
JADE: What? How could you possibly not have noticed??  
JUNE: What can I say besides I wasn't paying attention?  
JADE: You're hopeless.  


The two of you turn a corner, passing by a few doors. How big is this place? Her bathroom can't be that far away from her living room and kitchen, right?

JUNE: I didn't know this place was so big.  
JADE: Yep! I like to stretch my legs after I wake up, and I got kinda sick of transportalizers, especially since I can just teleport anywhere if I really have to.  
JUNE: Oh, no wonder.  
JADE: No wonder what?  
JUNE: No wonder you got those muscles! If you're walking around all the time, those would just happen naturally.  
JADE: Pffffhhehehe, no, that's totally not how it works at all. Muscles don't "just happen" if all you do is walk around a bunch.  
JUNE: Well, how did you get them, then?  
JADE: Strength training!  
JUNE: Wow, really?   
JADE: Yup! I've had a daily routine for a little over a year now, and it's really paid off!  


You come to a split in the hallway, and Jade takes the right side. You follow, noting the increase of wall decorations.

JUNE: That's pretty impressive!   
JADE: Thanks!  
JUNE: Wait, aren't you a scientist, though? I thought people who do science stuff don't really need muscles.  
JADE: Well, I technically don't, but I don't like having to rely on robots or random people stomping around my lab and moving stuff around for me. It's way easier and faster to just pick something up myself.  
JUNE: I guess that makes sense.   
JUNE: Wait, couldn't you just use your space powers to lift stuff around for you? Why do you need the muscles at all?  
JADE: Well, you know how I used a little bit of witchy energy for that thing yesterday?  
JUNE: Yeah, why?  
JADE: Well, after the green sun collapsed, my massive source of energy ran out. All the teleporting and moving stuff around has an energy cost!  
JADE: All of our powers do, actually. But we make enough of our own godly energy so it doesn't really matter that much.  
JADE: There is a limit, though. I may technically be able to do all of the stuff that a First Guardian can do, but I don't have anywhere near the energy needed to actually do most of it. Just simple teleporting every now and then.  
JADE: It would take a ton of effort, and would totally wear me out if I had to move around buildings and stuff like when we were first setting things up for Earth C. If I knew then that my energy wasn't limitless, I would've been much more conservative in how often I used my powers.  
JADE: Oh well! Only thing I can do about it now is save it all up until I need it.  
JADE: We're here, by the way!  


Jade stops in front of an unassuming door close to the end of the corridor. There's another door right at its end, which you assume is the door to her bedroom. You open the door and take a step inside before turning around to Jade.

JUNE: Cool. I promise it won't take too long!  
JADE: Hey, you have no clue how easily all of that is gonna come off. Don't promise me anything yet!  
JUNE: Haha, ok Jade. I'll take… some amount of time.   
JADE: See you soon!  


You close the door, and take a look around the bathroom. It's very roomy. There's a sizable countertop and sink, large mirror, and the usual shower and toilet. Jade keeps the counter surprisingly clean, with all her bottles and toiletries in an orderly line. It's pretty cute, all things considered. The shower curtain, toilet cozy, and wallpaper are all green and white, with different patterns. It's very Jade.

You take a look at yourself in the mirror, your eyes automatically locking on to the very, very obvious lipstick marks. You're extremely thankful that it was Jade that saw you like this and not, say, Terezi, though she wouldn't even be here to see it anyways. You take off your jacket and lay it down on the counter, the light blue standing out against all the green.

You take a washcloth that was neatly folded up and soak it with water from the sink, rising it up to your face. You scrub it against your right cheek for about ten seconds, then remove it. Half of the mark that was left there has been washed away, but it's definitely still visible. Looks like you'll be here for a while. 

You raise the washcloth once more and scrub with all your might.

\-----

Your face and neck have nearly been rubbed raw by your thorough scrubbing, but you're done. The washcloth is going to need a cleaning of its own, given the amount of green and purple it's covered in. You set it down on the counter and take a proper look at yourself in the mirror.

You're definitely clean. You definitely are, but for some reason, you don't look so great. You know you didn't put on a lot of makeup this morning, but that can't be why. You think you actually looked a bit worse yesterday, but your pale complexion, tired eyes, and slightly sunken cheeks still aren't doing you any favors. Did you really do all that stuff with Rose and Kanaya looking like this? How the hell did they put up with you? There's no way you could possibly meet their standards with your face as it is.

You decide to shelve that train of thought for later. You know Jade gave you some time, but you don't want her to wait too long. You rub your eyes, smooth over your hair a bit, and pull out your phone to tell Jade you're done. It took five minutes of leisurely walking to get here from her living room, so a heads up might be useful.

You scroll through pesterchum to her handle and send her a quick message.

EB: I'm done with cleanup, I'll be there soon.  
GG: Sounds good  
GG: Make sure to give me all of the details once you get back!  
EB: Bluhhh, do I have to?  
GG: Absolutely!  
GG: There's no way I'm letting you off the hook on this one  
GG: Rose is never gonna give up the info so I've gotta get it from you!  
GG: I think I could get Kanaya to tell me but I feel like she would leave out too much   
GG: Probably on purpose!  
GG: Hey, tell me something while you walk  
GG: I asked this earlier but how could you POSSIBLY have missed their hints??? Rose isn't as subtle as she thinks she is!  
GG: I'm seriously dying to know this  
GG: June  
GG: Are you ignoring me right now  
GG: Helloooooo  
GG: :/  
GG: Rude  


You can't breathe.

Your front half has collapsed onto the counter and your lungs are straining as your throat arches with invisible fire, depositing nothing but spit into the sink. You can barely keep your eyes open and the lack of oxygen is already starting to hit you. 

Your breath is escaping you faster than you can pull new air in. The pain racing up and down your esophagus is barely even reaching your brain right now. You're hardly moving and the world before you is spinning so much you're close to losing control of your legs and falling over. Your mouth has already lost it's moisture.

Knives are dancing around your windpipe, scraping off sections here and there every time you inhale and forcibly exhale. Blood has started to flow, and the horrible slow expelling of it from the air in your gut is only making things worse. Your fingers dig into the surface of the counter as you uselessly try to find something stable. 

Tons of tiny white dots appear in your eyes, distracting you with their presence for barely half a second before you're brought back to the wetting of your tongue, now dripping with warm, red acid. Every streak of blood from your throat sends shockwaves down the rest of your body, like you're being stabbed in the chest once every second. 

Your thoughts are no escape. They're utterly dominated by the beating in your heart, the throb in your back, the twisting of your stomach, and the skinning of your mouth from the inside. There's not a single thing on your mind besides a dull wondering when it will stop.

Your back arches, and you hack out a globule of blood and saliva into the sink. You take a deep breath, sputter out a few terrible coughs, and the tension in your muscles relaxes just enough for your legs to give out from under you. All of your weight now resting upon the counter, the pressure from the edge against your already upset stomach puts you over the line. A thin trickle of bile rushes out from your stomach and into the sink, coating the tip of your tongue on the way out.

The coughs slow down, and you take heavy, painful breaths. In, Out. In, Out. In, Out. There are tears in your eyes. Your mind is given back to you, the pain finally retreating. It takes you a moment to collect yourself.

You feel awful. You don't want to do this anymore. There's not even enough energy left in you to get up from this awful position. You've only just bothered to put a bit of weight back on your feet, the throbbing from the back of your throat still distracting you.

One thing at a time. 

You turn your head upwards, the movement turning your vision into a blurry parody of reality. You register the sight of a horrible red mess dirtying the sink of your sister's bathroom, and it strikes you that there's no possible way you can clean this up if it dries. You shakily reach a hand over to the sink, and turn on the water at full blast.

The bloody pile is starting to mix with the water and drop down the faucet, just like you wanted. Your face is just close enough to get hit by tiny droplets of water, but not close enough to get drenched. You put your full weight back on your feet and the world spins once more. Once it stops twirling around, you reach your hand up to your face and wipe the tears from your eyes.

There's a knock at the door and your entire body tenses. From the other side of the door, Jade speaks in a worried tone.

JADE: Hey June? You've kind of been in there a while, are you ok?  


Fuck. You can't let her see you like this. She can't know. How do you do this? You can't clean your face in time, and there's blood on your tank top. It raises too many questions. What can you say to make her not come in? You're in a bathroom, right? Just tell her you're on the toilet.

JADE: June? Hello?  
JUNE: yeAH *COUGH*  
JADE: June??  


Of course you can't talk, what were you thinking? What now, can you teleport away? No, she'll just teleport to your house and wait for you to come home. Can you block the door? You're too weak right now and Jade is way stronger than you. Can you hide the evidence well enough so she doesn't ask questions? 

There's no fucking way you're getting out of this one.

Your vision goes sideways as the door opens and Jade sees you. Her facial expression is too blurry to see, and before you can even try to do something, you're falling forwards, control over your legs disappearing. She catches you, and your feet drag along the floor. 

JADE: June!!  
JADE: What the fuck happened to you! Are you hurt? What's wrong?  


You try to give some words of reassurance, but the only thing you can force yourself to say is "water." Jade carefully sets you down, your head resting against the now open door. She rummages through the drawers underneath the sink and pulls out a cup, quickly filling it with water from the still running sink. She lowers herself to your level and lifts the cup to your lips. You drink slowly, the water gathering all the leftover bile and blood.

You look at Jade while she helps you drink. She looks worried. You're not really surprised by this, if you were in her position you would be worried too. What the hell are you going to say to her? She's not going to settle for a half assed explanation. Dirk swore he would keep everything a secret, but there's no way Jade is going to keep this to herself. Soon enough, everyone will know what happens in the future, and then everything you've tried to achieve will have been for nothing.

You swallow the last bit of water, the terrible aftertaste of iron and acid finally washing away. Your breathing is still unsteady, but you feel like you could at least slowly move yourself around now if you had to. 

JADE: Can you stand? I'm gonna get you over to my bed.  
JUNE: Probably not.  


Jade wraps her arms around you and picks you up like you don't weigh anything. She carries you out of the bathroom, walks up to the door to her bedroom, and kicks it open. You can't see much with half of your vision taken up by Jade's shoulder, but you catch a glimpse of her room before you're rushed towards her bed. You're laying down face up on something soft before you can even consider what you're going to say to Jade.

She pulls over a pillow and lifts your head, placing the pillow below it. She lifts up your tank top and nudges you here and there, probably to check for injuries that aren't there. You see a few things around you while she does. The green and blue comforter you're resting on, her wardrobifier against a wall, a calendar, a bookshelf. The rest all mix together into a collage of colors and shapes. 

You look back to Jade, who's hovering over you. Any second now.

JADE: I can't see any external injuries, so I'm assuming this is something internal. What's going on, June? Are you sick?  


There it is. Even if you somehow convince her to not ask about everything else, she's not taking no for an answer here.

JUNE: Yeah.  
JADE: What are you sick with? How long has this been going on for?   
JUNE: I don't really know what it is, but it's been happening for a few months.  
JADE: A few months?? Have you seen a doctor, or at least told someone else about this?  
JUNE: Nope.  
JUNE: Actually, I told Dirk, but that was only cause I coughed up blood all over his floor.  
JADE: So you just weren't planning on telling anybody?   
JUNE: Yeah.  
JADE: What the fuck, June!  
JADE: This is serious business! Were you just planning on keeping this to yourself until it, what, went away?   
JUNE: … Yeah?  
JADE: June.  
JADE: I'm trying really hard not to flip the fuck out, and you're not making it super easy!  
JUNE: Sorry.  
JADE: *Sigh*  
JADE: Look, it seems like whatever is going on with you stopped for now, so let's prop you up so we can talk like actual adults.  


Jade pulls over a few more pillows and piles them up behind you. It seems like strength has finally returned to your body, so you sit up and rest your neck against the top of the pillows. Jade lets out an exhale and sits next to you, now just above your eye level. Looking at her makes your stomach churn in anticipation for what she's going to ask you.

JADE: Ok, so, you're sick, you have been for months, and the only other person that knows besides me is Dirk.  
JADE: Can I ask why you didn't tell anybody else?  
JUNE: Before I answer that, can you promise me you won't freak out when I tell you?  
JADE: I won't promise, but I'll try.  
JUNE: Ok. So.  
JUNE: The reason I haven't told anybody on purpose is because I don't think anything good would come from it. Whatever is happening to me is just going to happen, and there's not really anything that can be done about it.  
JUNE: So, what use is there in talking about it? The only thing that would happen is it would make everyone sad. Like, right now, this whole situation we're in, is what I was trying to avoid.  
JUNE: I said I was sick, but I don't think it's a disease or anything. Jane didn't think anything was wrong with my body when I had her check.  
JADE: You told Jane?  
JUNE: I didn't tell her anything, just asked her to use her life powers. I think, whatever is wrong with me, there's nothing we can do to fix it.  
JUNE: So there's no point in talking about it.  
JADE: June?  
JUNE: Yeah?  
JADE: That's BULLSHIT!  
JUNE: Huh?  
JADE: Do you seriously think there's nothing that can be done? You tried once and then just, gave up!  
JADE: I absolutely REFUSE to believe that we're just going to live with you puking up your guts everyday!   
JADE: How many smart people do you know, June? Don't answer that actually, cause we both know the answer is a lot! I'd like to think I'm also one of those smart people!  
JADE: I know for a fact that if we all try hard enough, we can figure something out that fixes this!   
JADE: So don't give me any of that crap, June. Have a little faith!  
JADE: Have faith in me. Cause if you seriously think I'm just gonna sit back and watch you fall over and die from some mystery magic disease, then you are a SERIOUSLY bad judge of character!  


Jade huffs for a few seconds, catching her breath and waiting for your response. Your eyes squint as you try to push back the oncoming tears.

JUNE: That's not it, Jade.  
JADE: What isn't?  
JUNE: I've never thought of you as that kind of person. I haven't told you, or anyone else, because I know you would act like this.   
JUNE: You're seriously amazing, Jade. Every time I see you, I'm always impressed by some new thing you're making or a crazy skill I didn't know you had. I'm way too lucky to have you as a sister.   
JUNE: I know you'd go out of your way to help me out, and that's exactly why I couldn't say anything.  
JUNE: Because in the grand scheme of things, my life doesn't matter.  
JADE: June...  
JUNE: No, I know what that sounds like, but I'm serious. There's something more important than just me.  
JADE: What is it?  


There's no turning back now. If you're going all in, you're going to give her everything. You take a deep breath, exhale, and let it all out. 

JUNE: Before I came out, there was something I realized.   
JUNE: I didn't have a reason to keep living. I was just existing, and not doing anything all day everyday, because there wasn't anything to do. I knew people would be sad if I died, so I stuck around.   
JUNE: I had a call with Rose one day and it struck me that she had stuff she wanted. Like, not even one thing, there were multiple things. I was so surprised at just how easy she made it sound to care about things.  
JUNE: And I thought, why don't I have something like that? Is there something wrong with me? If I could find some reason to keep existing, a thing I needed, or something that needed me, maybe I would feel better.  
JUNE: So I jumped to some random point in the future. Just to see if there was anything there that had changed, or if anyone missed me.  
JUNE: But I fucked up, Jade.  
JUNE: I don't know how or when, but I really, really fucked up.  
JUNE: Everyone was gone. I don't know if we were dead, or if we had all disappeared, or…  
JUNE: I don't know.   
JUNE: I couldn't find anyone I cared about.  
JUNE: It's not like I didn't try, you know? I looked everywhere, seriously.  
JUNE: But I didn't find anything. Everyone had just vanished.   
JUNE: But that wasn't it. Whatever happened before everyone disappeared, something went down between us. There were signs of fighting that I know only we could pull off.  
JUNE: There were these massive gashes in the earth, like a laser had cut out a chunk and left the parts around it charred. All of our houses, all of our homes had been destroyed. A few of them were just massive craters. What shocked me most was the huge Crockercorp tower. It had been completely demolished, right down to the base.   
JUNE: The only people on the planet that can do those kinds of things to us is us.  
JUNE: So what I realized from all of this is that, for whatever reason, because I wasn't there, we turned on each other, and disappeared after we were done. And if that all went down because I wasn't around, wouldn't it just happen anyways?  
JUNE: So, now I had a thing. Everyone else already had a thing, and now I had mine. I was going to make sure that that future never happens, and I couldn't do that while being a loser who doesn't talk to anyone.  
JUNE: So I came out, and got to work.  
JUNE: If someone had a problem, especially a problem with someone else, I needed to fix it.  
JUNE: And everyone was glad, mostly. I wasn't a social recluse anymore, and I'm helping people out. It's a win-win. If I start to enjoy it, then that's just an added bonus.  
JUNE: But you know what, Jade?  
JADE: What?  
JUNE: None of that matters. Nothing I've done in the past four months has meant anything, because every time I go back to the future, it's always the same.  
JUNE: So, why am I still here? Why did I even bother trying to make people care about me again? If the past four months have been meaningless, what does it matter?  
JUNE: God, I can't,  
JUNE: I'm so stupid, earlier today, I, I was with Rose and Kanaya,  
JUNE: I just, I made them care, I made YOU care, and it's just  
JUNE: What did it even matter if I'm just going to die in the end?  
JUNE: Why, why does it…   


You cover your face in your hands. The tears have been falling for a while now, and you only just realized it now. You didn't want to look like this in front of her. 

JUNE: Jade, I can't   
JUNE: I can't do this.  


Jade moves towards you and holds you in her arms, tightly. The warmth releases all of the pressure you had in your body, and you clutch your sister as hard as you can. The tears continue to flow, and your thoughts begin to pour out of you.

JUNE: I don't want to make anyone sad, I don't want to make you sad!  
JUNE: I don't want to live like this anymore.   
JUNE: It really hurts, Jade. It really, really fucking hurts knowing I did all that just to fail.  
JUNE: Just barely existing everyday was better than this!  
JUNE: At least nothing hurt then.  
JUNE: I hate thinking about my friends like threats. I hate thinking about how dangerous, or unstable, or terrible they would be if they found out about the future.   
JUNE: I just want them to be safe. I just want them to be happy.  
JUNE: I,  
JUNE: I can't keep doing this, I can't,  
JUNE: I can't do any of this by myself.  
JUNE: I can't-  
JADE: Hey, hey, its ok, June. It's ok.   
JADE: You don't have to do anything by yourself. I'm here. I'll help.  
JADE: You don't have to do any of this alone. You don't have to worry anymore.  
JADE: And you're not going to die, ok? I'm not going to let some dumb magic disease take you away from me. No fucking way.  
JADE: Alright?  
JUNE: Yeah. Alright.  
JADE: Ok.  


Your tears are still coming, and you feel half dead, but you don't care. You keep your hands gripped to Jade. You just want to stay like this, being held by someone you trust, who trusts you. God, you're so stupid. If you knew how good it felt to pour your heart out to someone that loves you, you would've done it a lot sooner.

You sniffle, the crying beginning to lessen. You let out a shaky breath, your tired body shuddering from the decrease in tension. You really, really don't want Jade to let you go. You decide to let her go instead.

Before you get a chance though, Jade asks you a question.

JADE: Hey, June?  
JUNE: Yeah?  
JADE: I get why you didn't tell anyone about this. I won't ask you to explain yourself.  
JADE: But when you were trying to spend more time with everyone and fix their problems, why didn't you spend more time with me?  
JADE: I'm not upset. I'm still really happy you came to see me as much as you did.  
JADE: I just want to know why.  
JUNE: Its because…   
JUNE: Its cause I trust you.  
JADE: Yeah?  
JUNE: Yeah. Out of everyone, I think I spent the least amount of time with you because I wasn't ever worried about you.   
JUNE: Everyone has their own stuff to deal with, but I always had the feeling that if I could just talk to you, you'd be fine. I knew you would listen to me. I knew you would always hear me out.  
JUNE: Its fucked up, right? Even though I was the most confident in you, I barely talked to you. I'm so sorry.  
JADE: No, no, it's ok! You don't have to be sorry. I would've done the same thing if I were you.  
JADE: I'm really glad that was the reason, June. I knew there was something, but you always seemed so relieved to see me that I could never ask.   
JADE: Next time you've got a problem like this, tell me, alright? No matter what. I don't want you dealing with something like this alone.   
JUNE: Ok.  
JADE: Promise?  
JUNE: Yeah. I promise.  
JADE: Good.  


She hugs tighter for a second, and finally lets you go. You look up at her, and- oh fuck, she's crying too. You scramble your brain for a way to make her feel better. 

JUNE: Well, that was a hell of a feelings jam.  
JADE: Yep.  
JUNE: You know, I had one of these earlier with Rose and Kanaya.  
JADE: Today?  
JUNE: Yeah, it was right before all the kissing happened. I think I've got my crying quota filled for the whole week.  
JADE: Don't be so sure. I'll get another good cry out of you yet!  
JUNE: Hey, that's something you could totally beat them in.   
JUNE: How does "champion of feelings" sound?  
JADE: It sounds like the lamest title ever.  
JUNE: Yeah, it totally does, doesn't it?  


The two of you have a chuckle at your bad jokes, and you feel a lot more grounded now than you have in weeks. There's nowhere you are but right here, right now. You have absolutely no idea what's going to happen next, but now you have someone to turn to. You're not alone with your troubles anymore.

You've got a really good sister, huh?

\-----

JUNE: Tell me what the purpose of this is again?  


You're sitting in a chair and hooked up via some tubes to a machine that looks like it belongs in a hospital. Jade told you she wasn't going to let you leave until she had done some tests on you, whatever that means. The room you're more or less being temporarily confined to is full of other stuff, too. A couple cabinets, other random medical equipment you don't know anything about, and some hospital beds.

You wonder how long this whole thing is going to take. It's kind of cold in this room, but you have your jacket, so it's not so bad.

JADE: I told you, I have to at least record some information on what state your body is in. The human body isn't really my area of expertise, but I know enough to operate this sucker and do tests and stuff. Not that I know what any of it actually means!  
JADE: Tomorrow I'll start getting some people together who'd be willing to help you out and manage your symptoms until we figure out how to fix whatever's going on with you.  
JADE: None of our friends, before you freak out! I know you don't want anyone else to know, so I'll keep things quiet. There's lots of talented and smart people on Earth C who would be more than happy to chip in, and I'm sure they'll be able to keep secrets.  
JUNE: Jeez, you had me worried for a sec.  
JADE: My bad!  


Jade fiddles around with the dials on the machine, reads one of its displays, and writes something down on a clipboard. You think she looks very smart, but you have no idea what she's actually writing. She could be doodling something totally silly and irrelevant for all you know. Probably not, though. Jade said she doesn't know much about human stuff, but she looks pretty confident doing whatever it is she's doing.

JADE: Wanna know something interesting, June?  
JUNE: Sure.  
JADE: You know how the level of technology of our civilization is pretty similar to what it was like on our Earth?  
JUNE: Yeah, I guess.   
JADE: Well, it turns out, this place is actually a lot more advanced than our Earth was in terms of medicine.  
JUNE: Really? How?  
JADE: I'm not totally sure on the details, but the people here have had around three hundred years since the first proper antibiotic was invented. From what I understand, that's a lot more time than we got.  
JADE: Turns out when we're not messing around with killing each other, we have a lot more time to spend on actually useful stuff, like medicine!  
JADE: Like, you know aspirin?  
JUNE: Yeah?  
JADE: Well, the aspirin we have is like, way better than the stuff those chumps on Earth A had.  
JUNE: How does that even work?  
JADE: Not totally sure! I was pretty much just skimming around when I looked this stuff up. I was mostly curious about how the different major fields of science had grown over time, so I didn't really dig too deeply into anything.   
JADE: Anyways, my point is that this Earth's medicine is probably way better than what you think it is.  
JUNE: Is that why you're so confident about all of this? I kind of thought you were just trying to cheer me up.  
JADE: Well yeah, I was trying to make you feel better, but I wasn't lying about fixing you up! It's totally doable, especially if I get some experts to help me out.   
JADE: Even if we can't figure out how to "cure" you, we can at least get rid of your symptoms so you can live life normally.  
JUNE: Wow. That sounds pretty optimistic!  
JADE: It is, but I'm still confident!  


Wow. Maybe you're not so screwed after all. 

Jade captchalogues her clipboard and moves over to one of the cabinets. She opens it, rummages around for a few seconds, and pulls out something small and reflective. She turns around and walks back towards you. It looks like she's got something resembling an arm strap with some stuff attached? It feels like you've seen this kind of thing before, but you don't remember what it's purpose is.

JADE: Mind sticking your arm out for me?  
JUNE: Sure. What does this thing do?  
JADE: Oh, this measures your blood pressure. I don't really want to take any blood from you right now, but this is at least something I'm kind of knowledgeable about, which is to say, I'll be able to tell if your blood pressure is good or bad.  
JADE: Now, I think we just do this…  


She wraps it around your upper arm, and fiddles around with what looks like a little screen connected to it. After a second, it tightens, but not so much that its uncomfortable.

JADE: Ok, so just have to wait five minutes or so, and that's it.  
JUNE: That's it?  
JADE: Yep!  
JADE: I think this thing automatically stops once it's done, so I don't have to worry about doing it for too long or anything.  
JUNE: Neat.  
JADE: I know, right?  


A few seconds of silence pass. As you try to think of something to say, your phone vibrates. Sounds like someone sent you a message.

JUNE: Mind if I check my phone?  
JADE: Go ahead!  


You pull out your phone with your unoccupied hand, and open pesterchum. Looks like Kanaya has sent you a few messages. There's pretty much no way you're not responding to this.

GA: I Would Like To Preface This With The Acknowledgement That Any And All Hypotheticals I Present Are Obviously About A Specific Person But For The Sake Of Ambiguity I'm Going To Keep Things Nonspecific   
GA: Have You Ever Seen Someone You've Spent A Lot Of Time With Act In Such A Way That You Would Describe As Neither Dangerous Or Worrying But Simply Bizarre As It Goes Against So Many Established Conventions About Them To The Extent That You Wonder If That Person Has Been Replaced By Someone Else  
GA: I Ask Because I Am Definitely Not Currently In This Situation But Would Just Like Some Advice On What I Should Do If I Ever Was In That Scenario  
GA: I Am Also Asking You Specifically Because You Have Experience In This Particular Field And Not Because Your Experience Directly Correlates With The Subject Of My Hypothetical  
EB: Hi Kanaya!  
GA: Oh Hello June I Didn't Think You Would Respond So Quickly Given Your Current Involvement With Jade  
GA: I Was Under The Impression That You Would Be Occupied By Whatever Pet Project She Is Currently Enamored With  
EB: Man, typing with one hand is slow.  
GA: May I Ask Why You're Typing With One Hand  
GA: I'll Give You Sufficient Time To Type Your Answer  
EB: Long story, what about your thing?  
GA: Oh My Thing Is Fairly Unimportant And Imaginary Because Its Not Currently A Thing That's Happening  
GA: My Purely Hypothetical Scenario Is This   
GA: What Would You Do If Rose Was Very Suddenly Into Throwing Parties And Inviting Literally Everyone She Knows To One She Plans To Throw At Our House   
EB: Wow, that sounds crazy. When would she hypothetically plan for it?  
GA: It Would Hypothetically Be Tomorrow  
EB: That really doesn't sound like her.  
GA: Yes It Is Theoretically Very Out Of Character For Her Which Is Why I'm Asking You About It  
GA: What Was It You Did To Make Her Stop Acting Very Different To How She Usually Is  
EB: Oh, I kissed her, actually.   
GA: Really   
EB: There was other stuff, but yep.  
GA: I See   
GA: Well If This Scenario Ever Comes To Pass I Will Be Sure To Remember This Conversation And Do That  
GA: I Am Suddenly Feeling Very Confident That It Would Pull Her Out Of Her Stupor With Absolute Certainty  
GA: Thank You For The Advice June  


You hear a beep, and both you and Jade look at the source of the noise, the screen attached to your blood pressure thing. After the beep ends, the pressure from it lessens, and you feel your blood start to flow a little bit easier. Jade begins inspecting it, and you turn back to your phone to end your conversation with Kanaya.

EB: No problem!  
EB: Hey, I gotta get back to Jade now. I'll talk to you later?  
GA: Of Course  
GA: Have Fun With Jade  


You slip your phone back into your pocket, and return your gaze back to your sister. She's staring at the screen very intently, still absorbing everything on it. You take the opportunity to slip the blood pressure thing off of your arm before speaking up.

JUNE: What does it say?  
JADE: Wellllll  
JADE: Ok, I'm not totally sure if I'm reading this right?  
JADE: Like, I thought I knew what high and low blood pressure looked like, but now I'm not totally sure.  
JUNE: Well, what do you think it looks like?  
JADE: Ok, so  
JADE: If I'm right about what I think these numbers mean  
JADE: And if the machine isn't broken and is displaying things correctly  
JADE: Then I think you shouldn't be alive?  
JUNE: What.  
JADE: Ok, what I mean by that is, your blood pressure is really low.  
JUNE: Ok?  
JADE: Like, suuuuuper low.  
JADE: So low that I'm pretty sure most people would totally be in a coma right now.  
JADE: But, like. You seem ok?  
JADE: The coughing and the blood is all obviously very bad, but after a while you said you feel better, right?  
JADE: I'm pretty sure if you had blood pressure this low you would be super dead, or at least unconscious.  
JUNE: I'm alive, though?  
JADE: Right? So there's no way these numbers are correct.  
JADE: But if they aren't, what the heck does that actually mean?  
JUNE: Well, I don't know. What does low blood pressure usually do to people?  
JADE: Well, people can get dizzy, or faint, or have their vision blur. Stuff like that.   
JADE: Have you been feeling anything like that?  
JUNE: Most of the time not really, but sometimes after a coughing fit I'll be like that for a few minutes. It was like that today.  
JADE: Huh.  
JADE: Honestly June, I don't really know what to make of this!   
JADE: Let's get what we actually do understand on a list and see if we can figure something out.  
JUNE: Ok.  


Jade uncaptchalogues her clipboard again and produces a pen from somewhere. She gets ready to write and starts rattling off questions.

JADE: Ok, first things first. When did your coughing fits start?  



	6. Day 4

The corkboard stares back at you, presenting the same information it did the last eleven times you looked at it. It's starting to feel less important every time you review the information you already know, but you're doing it anyways. Hard to break habits and all that. 

You've already gotten dressed and ready for the day, including a couple extra layers on top of your usual shirt. Not just one, but two jackets, one of which is really puffy and warm. You are so ready to be outside in all that crappy weather.

Not just yet, though. You wanted to psych yourself up, since you're going to be doing things a little differently from now on. You're remaining tight-lipped about your visit to the future, except for Jade. However, the stuff about your stupid sickness is something you're willing to discuss now. In hindsight it was pretty inevitable that you would get to this point, but you're not going to beat yourself up about it. As long as you keep the stuff about the future to you and Jade, you'll have tons of time to figure out what eventually goes wrong and stop it. You've got this in the bag.

For now though, you're back to your usual routine. You'll meet back up with Jade tomorrow to start on your recovery, but you've got today to worry about first. Well, not worry about exactly. Today is going to be a good day, you can feel it. You've got a "playdate" with Callie at noon, which is soon. They like calling those playdates, even though you're just friends. Probably because you usually see plays with them. 

After that, you'll have some time to kill before Rose's party. You got your invitation via pesterchum last night, as you assume everyone else did. One day's notice isn't much, so you're unsure how many people are actually going to arrive. You're still going to show up, though. No reason not to.

Hopefully nobody asks about your appearance. You put on as much makeup as you could to cover up your ghoulish face, but makeup can only do so much. It looks a bit worse than it did yesterday, but not so awful that you look like you're actually dying, even though you still are. 

Man, there's pretty much no way Rose and Kanaya don't think something is up with you. Now that you've thought about it, it seems more and more likely that they just decided not to mention it for your sake. You'll have to do something nice for them tonight before you get too indebted to them.

You look over to Rose's picture on your corkboard. She's one of your friends that you've got the most notes on, right below Dirk and Jane. She has the most strings connecting her and others, which is only the case because you've only put together information relevant to your mission. 

You're not going to waste time thinking about this for hours like you've done before. That'll at least have to wait until the next time you see Jade. For now, you've got a playdate, and it's not one you want to miss out on. You step away from your corkboard and exit your room, making your way downstairs. You're not feeling quite as steady on your feet as you usually are, so you take a little extra time getting down the staircase. For the first time in probably ever, the lack of a railing concerns you. Maybe Dave was right about your house not being super safe.

Nah, he was probably just exaggerating. You reach the last step without issue, and before you know it, you're at the door. You turn the knob and swing the door open, a blast of wind instantly hitting you with cold air. You shiver and quickly close the door behind you, entering the breeze as soon as you lock it. 

The winds feel sharp today, like they're poking and prodding at you as your essence travels through them. You lose focus for a little while as you gather yourself at your destination. You know exactly where you want to be, you just have to get there. The breeze finally cooperates and deposits you a short distance away. Your feet touch the ground and you instantly feel the wind brushing against your face. You take a look around, gauging your current location.

You're under a tree inside the park just across from the theater you're meeting Callie at. There are a few carapacians around, but it doesn't look like any of them saw you arrive. You really didn't want to deal with the extra attention today. You make your way towards the theater and observe its appearance.

It's got a simple sign above it's entrance showing the name of the place: "Saffron Theater." Its a pretty ordinary building, and its not too big. It's nothing special. Never has been, as far as you know. You and Callie have been coming here for a few months simply because it was the closest place to where Callie and Roxy live that shows live action plays. Someone must have realized that you and Callie come here, cause this place got a lot more popular soon after your visits became regular.

You don't see Callie near the entrance, which means they must already be inside. You come up to the booth and wave at the ticketer, who salutes you. You head inside and barely stop yourself from laughing. It's pretty nice that you've been recognized as one of the creators' guests, so you don't need to bother with a ticket. The extra formalities are just the icing on the cake.

The inside is slightly fancier, but not by much. There's not a hint of your green friend anywhere, just a handful of carapacians. Most of them are making their way through the sets of doors directly ahead, to the auditorium. You walk to the side, towards the staircases, as Callie and you have a permanent right to the best seats in the house. It's not saying much, but you're not gonna deny the hospitality.

It doesn't take you long to go up a couple flights of stairs and walk to the door of the balcony area. You open it and see Callie sitting there, the three seats next to them empty. You'd think the walls on either side of them and the empty seats make them look lonely, but you know they don't mind. They hear you walk in and turn around as you close the door behind you, a smile already present on their face.

JUNE: Hey Callie!   
CALLLIE: Oh, hello JUne! The play is jUst aboUt to start.  


You take the seat next to Callie and look out at the auditorium. Sure enough, it looks like the opening scene is just starting. You take off your outer jacket and place it down on the empty seats next to you, letting the cushy leather of the chair envelop you.

CALLIE: I was a toUch worried yoU woUldn't make it in time, bUt I see my fears were UnfoUnded.  
JUNE: Yeah, it took me longer to get here than I thought it would. Sometimes the breeze likes to take its time. Sorry about that.  
CALLIE: Don't be, I'm jUst glad yoU're here.  
JUNE: Aww, thanks Callie. I'm glad I'm here too.  
CALLIE: Indeed. Now, are we going to gab at each other all day, or are we going to enjoy the play?  
JUNE: Oh, right. The play.  


You turn away from Callie and look at the couple of actors that have started their performances. Man, you don't even know what this one's called. You would ask Callie, but you don't want to be rude. You know they told you at some point, but the title slipped your mind. You've had like, two emotional breakdowns in the past three days, so you won't be too hard on yourself.

Maybe this is just what you needed. Just kicking back, watching something interesting with a quiet friend for a few hours. This is the kind of thing you wished you could do when you were a kid, and now you do it every couple weeks.

Ok, maybe this isn't exactly what you had in mind, but the plays have grown on you. You were reluctant at first, but you couldn't say no to a request to spend time with a friend. You were just glad you didn't have to reach out to them first. The first one you saw with Callie and Roxy was so boring, but you stuck with it since Callie seemed to be enjoying themselves. 

You started to appreciate the plays soon, however. There was something about them that seemed more… real, when you compared them to the action flicks you grew up watching. You still like those a little, but the live performances gave the plays a feeling that you don't think you had experienced before. You're still not too sure how to describe it, even to yourself, but it only took a couple more after the first for you to really enjoy them.

It's not the kind of thing you could do all the time, though. Every couple weeks is enough to satisfy you for now. Even if you weren't a big fan of them, you'd still appreciate the time they gave you. It always filled your Callie quota, and they've acted as a break from your otherwise busy schedule. 

When was the last time you had a day where you just didn't talk to anybody at all? It must've been before you came out. You glance at Callie. As usual, their full attention is on the stage, and the actors on it. Man, you've totally just been spacing out for the last few minutes. You should probably start to pay attention before you really have no idea what's happening. Your ears tune in to the actors' voices, and you try to piece together the five minutes of exposition you missed.

\-----

CALLIE: JUne?  


Your eyes pop open and you turn your head to face Callie. Is it time for an intermission already?

JUNE: Yeah?  
CALLIE: Did yoU fall asleep?  
JUNE: Um.  


Did you? You were watching the play and then… what? What's the last thing you remember seeing?

JUNE: How long ago did the main guy stab the guard dude?  
CALLIE: I believe that was aroUnd thirty minUtes ago.  
JUNE: Crap. Yeah, I fell asleep. Sorry Callie. Mind catching me up?  
CALLIE: Certainly not! So, what's happened since then…  


\-----

For some reason, something is bothering you. The play is still going, and you've been paying as much attention as one possibly can to a play they missed half an hour of. You can't quite put your finger on it, but things have felt off since you woke up from your unwanted nap. 

There's nothing wrong, and as far as you can tell you're not due for a coughing fit any time soon. While you can't deny you're not the most perceptive of individuals, Callie seems as chipper as usual, and you're pretty sure there's nothing wrong with the play itself. So what does that leave? Just yourself, right?

But nothing's wrong with you, at least right now. Yeah, you've got problems, but you're making a fresh start. Today is a new day and all that. You felt perfectly fine this morning, so why do you feel so weird right now?

It feels like you're missing something. You don't know what, but it's something you probably had before, that you don't have now. But that doesn't make sense, does it? If anything, you've gained more yesterday than what you had at the start of the week. You're able to confide in Jade, and you've got… something nice with Rose and Kanaya. 

You've been distracted by this for the past ten minutes and you're getting the feeling that the play really isn't holding your attention anymore. What could you have possibly missed from before you fell asleep to right now? 

Maybe you only noticed something was missing now. Maybe whatever thing you don't have has been gone for a while and you've just been too swallowed by your own problems to think about it. That sounds like something you'd do.

Ew. 

Why did that sentence make you feel so weird? It's almost like you said it wrong, even though you just said it in your head. It's not even possible for things to sound like anything when you're thinking it, it's all just thoughts. But there was still something off about it. What was wrong with it, though? 

JUNE: (That sounds like something you'd do.)  


You say it out loud, under your breath. Callie didn't hear you, or if they did, they're ignoring it. It didn't sound weird when you actually said it with your own mouth, so why did it feel so off when you just thought about it? Is it actually possible for thoughts to sound wrong?

This is hurting your head. There's a light pressure in your temples, but nothing beyond that. You exhale out of your nose in a way that's probably too obvious. 

That sounds like something you'd do.

It's like there's a different connotation to this that you're not aware of, even though it's just your own dumb brain. What the fuck is going on with you? Is your low blood pressure making your brain act up? No, that sounds stupid. It sounds like the exact kind of thing you'd think when you have no idea what you're talking about.

That was wrong too. How can something you only say in your head sound like anything? Why is any of this bothering you at all? Does any of this crap actually matter?

You certainly don't know.

That one sounded fine.

The thing you just thought is stupid.

That one sounded wrong.

Are you just losing it? Are you just so low on sleep that you're thinking at yourself like a weirdo who has nothing better to do? Is that a thing people can do? How do you think at yourself? It's definitely what you're doing right now.

You try to listen back into the play and you have no idea what's going on now. Something about a book and a ghost? Who even cares at this point. 

You do, probably.

But why do you care?

Who knows. Why are you talking to yourself?

Is it even talking? It's just one disembodied voice talking to the same…

voice.

Wasn't there a voice? 

There was, wasn't there? There used to be a voice that told you stuff and gave you advice. It sounded just like your voice, but it was different. Like it was smarter or older than you or something. It used to just come to you in dreams for a while, but it eventually started being a part of your waking life too. When was the last time you heard it? 

It was right before you had that freak out with Dirk, a few days ago. You were about to leave since you felt like shit and it stopped you. It was saying you should tell him all your crap, which was a terrible idea. 

Why haven't you heard it since? 

Did you mess up somehow?

What even is that voice?

Did you just imagine it?

…

Does it matter if you did?

It probably wasn't that important.

…

Man, if Rose heard you say any of this, she'd have a fucking field day. Your brain would get picked apart for hours and hours. Heh.

…

You're going to have to talk to Jade about this, aren't you? 

Crap.

\-----

It's the end of the third of five acts and they're finally calling an intermission. You wish you could enjoy this play properly, but your brain is determined to not let you have any fun today. You turn your head towards Callie, who notices your movement quickly. They probably want to discuss the last few acts with you, like they usually do.

CALLIE: So! What do yoU think so far, JUne?  
JUNE: I'm not sure. I only kind of know what's going on cause I missed a big part of the first couple acts, but there was that one part in the middle of act three that had that cool speech.  
CALLIE: Oh, I loved that scene! The more I see, the more I come to appreciate speeches and monologUes. I sUppose I've got a soft spot for this kind of thing, bUt I'm always enraptUred by them.  
CALLIE: There's something beaUtifUl aboUt a character letting their thoUghts be known to anyone who woUld listen, whether that be an army, the creatUres of a forest, or none bUt themselves.  
JUNE: Yeah?  
CALLIE: AbsolUtely. Of coUrse, an entire play of monologUes woUldn't be very interesting, bUt if I'm being perfectly honest, I woUld probably enjoy it nonetheless.  
JUNE: Is that something people actually do? Like, talk to themselves?   
CALLIE: I'm not entirely sUre. Even if everyone denies it, it's possible that most people talk to themselves in their own time, while none of Us are the wiser.  
JUNE: Well, maybe some people do it, but I don't think, like, a lot of people do. Not like any of us would know, though.  
CALLIE: I believe mUch the same.  
JUNE: Hm.  
JUNE: Do you think it's possible to have a full on conversation with yourself?  
JUNE: And I don't mean, like, alt selves or anything involving timeline shenanigans, nothing like that. I mean, is talking to yourself a real thing that can happen, or is it just like, thoughts?  
JUNE: Am I making any sense here?  
CALLIE: Somewhat. To be clear, yoU mean there are no other beings that reside in yoUr body bUt yoU, and if it's possible to actively converse with yoUrself?  
JUNE: Yeah, I guess.  
CALLIE: I'm not sUre. It does take at least two to have a conversation, bUt I sUppose that's not qUite what yoU mean.  
CALLIE: May I ask what spUrred on this line of qUestioning?  


You scratch the back of your head, wondering what the best way to say this would be. You don't think Callie would make fun of you for something like this, but it would make you sound kinda weird. Oh well, may as well go through with it. What do you have to lose?

JUNE: Ok, so, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but do you ever hear a voice in your head?  
CALLIE: A voice?  
JUNE: Yeah, like one that tells you what to do, and gives advice on stuff.  
CALLIE: What does this voice soUnd like in yoUr mind?  
JUNE: Well, just like me, I guess.  
CALLIE: I believe that yoU may be describing "thinking".  
JUNE: Ugh, no, that's not it.  
JUNE: Sorry, I'm not frustrated with you or anything, I just don't know how to describe it.  
JUNE: Like, when I'm thinking about stuff, it's just snippets of words or feelings that come and go most of the time. But the voice I'm talking about is different.  
JUNE: Like, I know there's no actual sound going on when you think about noises and everything, but the voice I mean isn't like it's my own thoughts just doing what they usually do. There's this, what, accent? No, that doesn't sound right either.   
JUNE: Like, it sounds like me, but it's different. It doesn't feel like it's just ordinary thinking happening in my brain, it's like those thoughts are happening at me, or to me. And when I mentally respond to the voice, it thinks back at me.  
CALLIE: I'm not sUre what to say. Is this phenomenon something yoU've been experiencing for a long time?  
JUNE: Not really. I don't remember exactly when I started hearing it, but its showed up in my dreams a lot.  
CALLIE: Did yoU happen to hear it while yoU slept earlier?  
JUNE: No, but that's the thing! I think I was expecting to, but now that I haven't heard it in a while, it feels weird. Like, it wasn't even that long ago since it's started happening, but now that it's been gone for a few days, it's like there's something I'm missing. Does any of this make sense?  
CALLIE: It does, yes.  
JUNE: Really?  
CALLIE: Indeed. I'm not sUre I woUld describe it the way yoU have, bUt for most of my life I coUld feel a presence in the back of my mind. It was my brother, and while I've since grown to dislike him more than I ever did before I was rescUed by Roxy, I still remember never feeling entirely alone becaUse of him.  
CALLIE: This was both a blessing and a cUrse, and while I do not wish to go back to those days, it's difficUlt to deny the comfort that presence gave me. I never trUly experienced loneliness Until he took full control of oUr shared body.  
CALLIE: What does yoUr voice tell yoU, if I may ask?  
JUNE: Well, it's usually good stuff. I don't completely remember the stuff it says when I'm dreaming, but I don't think I've ever felt worse after hearing it.  
JUNE: It kinda feels like it wants to help me out, so it gives me advice on stuff, and if I'm worrying about something, then sometimes it pops up and says something I already knew, but it still makes me feel better.  
JUNE: Maybe that's why I feel so weird. I got used to it pretty quick, so it feels like something's missing when it hasn't popped up in a while.  
CALLIE: What do yoU think has caUsed this absence?  
JUNE: I'm not sure. I can think of one thing, but I don't know if that's really the reason.  
CALLIE: Do yoU want the voice to come back?  
JUNE: I…   
JUNE: I guess?  
JUNE: It was never really something I thought about, but I think I'm actually kind of missing it now that it's gone.  
CALLIE: Then I believe yoU shoUld do what yoU can to get it back.  
CALLIE: I'm not qUite sUre what this voice of yoUrs is, bUt I believe it is something that has yoUr best interests at heart. It's not good to take these things for granted.  
CALLIE: I woUldn't trade my new life for anything, and I'm far more fUlfilled like this than I ever was in that tiny room. I get so mUch more from all of this in a single day than I got in a month then.  
CALLIE: BUt it's different. I may prefer things to be like this, bUt I'll never qUite get that feeling back, like I coUld never trUly be alone.  
CALLIE: If I coUld have that feeling again, with no cost to anyone, I daresay I'd take it in a heartbeat. I don't want yoU to lose oUt on something better than I ever had.  
JUNE: Yeah.   
JUNE: You're probably right.  


You lean back in your seat and exhale. It looks like they're getting ready to end the intermission.

JUNE: Sorry for getting all serious there.  
CALLIE: Oh, it's qUite alright! I hope I was able to help?  
JUNE: Yeah, you were. Thanks Callie.  
CALLIE: Excellent. Now, it looks like the foUrth act is aboUt to start.  
JUNE: Oh, right. Guess we should start paying attention.  
CALLIE: Indeed!  


\-----

You exit the theater with Callie in tow, the wind already starting to nip at your fingers. The last two acts of the play were actually enjoyable thanks to Callie. You know they live close by, but you give them an offer every time regardless.

JUNE: Need me to take you home?  
CALLIE: No thank yoU, JUne. I'd rather take the scenic roUte, despite the cold. The offer is mUch appreciated, however!  
JUNE: Gotcha. I'll see you later, then?  
CALLIE: In two weeks, if all goes well!  


They wave and walk in the direction of their home. You wave back, and after a minute, they're out of sight. Looks like you've got the rest of the day for whatever you like, since Rose's party thing is much later. You don't really want to show up anywhere unannounced, so you decide to just head home for now.

You make your way out of sight from anyone around and flow into the breeze, scattering into the winds. It's rough, and you have to correct your course every now and then, though this really just means it takes you longer than it would have ordinarily. The breeze isn't unaccommodating however, and soon enough, your essence gathers in one place, right outside of your front door. You unlock it and head inside.

You close the door behind you and take off your outermost jacket, tossing it on the couch. You're not that cold, but it still feels nice to be somewhere warm. You lazily look around your living room, wondering what you should spend your time on. The last time you had this much free time, you…

You didn't get out of bed until almost five in the afternoon. Maybe its not a great idea to go down that route again. What else is there, though? You meander around your house, looking here and there. It's the same as it's always been, really. Nothing to see here that you haven't seen tens of thousands of times already. 

You find yourself in the study, which you haven't actually been to in a few months, if that. The pictures on the walls in here never really seemed out of place, since your dad was the one who was in here most of the time. Like, this one is some comedy guy your dad thought was funny. You think that's who this is. Or, was. His name escapes you, though you know this dude's portrait has always been here.

Is that weird, to have pictures of dead guys up in your house even though you don't really know what their names are? It's not like they care, with them being dead and everything. Still, is there any reason why you should keep them up? Here, you can at least see what the wall looks like without them.

You take a few of the pictures off on one wall of your study and place them down on the floor. The wall looks different without them, but it doesn't quite look better. It's still not worse, though. You think. It's not like there's any clown crap around here to actively weird you out, and your dad never put up anything that you disliked before all of that stuff. 

It still rubs you the wrong way, though. Walls are meant to have things on them, and your house would look pretty barren if you took down all of the stuff that only your dad liked. You put up each of the pictures again in their original spots, and the wall is back to normal. As normal as it can be, anyways, given that this room is almost like a shrine to a bunch of dead guys you don't care about.

You suddenly don't want to be in the study anymore. You exit the room and close the door behind you. Well, now you're back to square one. What are you going to spend the next five hours doing before Rose's party? You guess you could always fill the time doing what you usually do. Usually. You make your way to one of the shelves you use to store all your movies, both new and old. 

You scan your library of media. You've pretty much seen all of these dozens of times, and you're kind of sick of them now. You pick up the DVD case of Armageddon and stare at its cover. Same as it ever was. In hindsight, this one wasn't as good as you thought it was when you were a kid, but there's still a certain sense of nostalgia when you watch it, just like the rest of your old movies.

You don't put on any of your old stuff when friends come over for a movie night. Its not like you were never really bothered when someone made fun of your taste in movies before. It was always something you were confident they were wrong about. You really liked them, which meant they were good, popular opinion be damned.

You try not to talk about the specifics of your solo movie watching experiences anymore. The lighthearted barbs your friends made towards your tastes started to make you feel kinda bad after a certain point. You weren't really enjoying them after a while. Maybe that's why they hurt in the first place. It's not like you're a particularly sensitive person. You and your friends jab at each other all the time without issue, but this particular thing just makes you uncomfortable when it's brought up. 

You place Armageddon back on the shelf. The last time you really enjoyed this movie feels so far back that it's hard to remember why you ever did. The same applies to most of these. The sense of nostalgia is the only reason you can stand them anymore, and yet you continue to watch them in your downtime. You're not really sure why.

You don't spend a lot of time at home, anymore. You're really only here to get ready for the day and sleep when you're done with it. That, and meals. The only place in your home that you can really settle down in when there's nobody else here is your room, and even then, there's always this feeling like you should be getting up and doing something, even when there's nothing to do. That feeling is pretty easy to squash down, though. 

Is this… is this a normal thing to do? Erasing your inconvenient emotions that you don't feel like dealing with? That's just a part of being a person, right? Yeah, probably.

You slowly walk over to your couch and sit down. There's nothing to do. You don't want to watch movies, you don't want to annoy your friends, you don't want to play videogames, you don't want to play pranks on anyone. What else is there? You've got other stuff you can do, right?

Right?

Why can't you think of anything else, then?

Movies, friends, games, pranks. There's other stuff beyond that. There should be, anyways. You try to wrack your brain for anything that you could possibly spend your time doing. Anything that sounds like it could take up time, anything that doesn't sound like a chore. You're coming up empty. 

A ping from your phone takes your attention immediately, and you look at the new message without hesitation.

TT: We need to talk.  


Oh, hell no. You know you were practically begging for a distraction, but this is absolutely not what you want to be distracted by right now. Or ever. 

Still, it's tempting. There's almost nothing else for you to do right now, and here's something that could easily take up your attention for a while. You've got a decent idea what Dirk would want to talk about, but you're unsure whether you would actually get anything out of a talk with him. Sure, he's a potential distraction, but is that worth talking to him at all?

If he wants to discuss what you think he does, it might be dangerous to even engage in conversation. Dirk said he could read you like a book, and you don't exactly disagree with him. You left out the most important part of your excursion to the future, and if he picks up on what you didn't tell him, it could really make him a problem you don't want to deal with. 

Yeah, not answering is definitely the safest option right now. You should just ignore any other messages he sends you until you figure out how to respond to any possible questions of his. You really don't want a repeat of last time. 

You stick your phone back in your pocket. Well, that's a few more minutes taken up. It might be a good idea to seriously think about how to spend your time when there's nothing else going on. This probably won't be the only time you're stuck in this situation, and you don't want to do something stupid or dangerous out of boredom.

Stupid and dangerous. You've just got the best idea you've had since you got home. You could go over your corkboard again and redo the whole thing. Its not like this is a simple time waster, this is actually something you need to do. Dirk and Jade need to be completely redone as best as you can redo them, and that's probably going to take a while. When are you going to get a better chance than this?

You remember how you went over your information this morning and completely forgot to change anything. Ok, maybe you've got the time, but dammit if this isn't the perfect opportunity to overthink things and occupy your mind for the rest of the afternoon.

You get up from your couch and make your way to the stairs, determined to get something done.

\-----

Ugh.

Your face hurts. Your eyelids flutter open and a singular cough escapes your throat. What are you doing? Are you laying down on the floor? When the hell did that happen?

You unstick your face from the floor and prop yourself up by putting your weight on your arms. Why are things so blurry, and why are you sweating so much? Ugh, there's some gross sticky feeling on your upper lip. You bring a hand up to your face and touch it, bringing your fingers up to your eyes to see what's on your face.

There's a few droplets of blood on the tips of your fingers. You didn't have a coughing fit, so where did this come from? Your vision is still slightly spinning, so you adjust your glasses with your unbloodied fingers. A dull, deep ache spreads throughout your nose as you do, and you wince at the unexpected pain. Is your nose broken? 

You let out a long exhale. You bring your phone out of your pocket and, making sure not to adjust your glasses out of habit, check the time. 8:16pm. Fuck, hasn't Rose's party started already? It looks like she's sent you a few messages, probably about your absence. Your eyes are too busy being stupid to actually read anything smaller than the big clock on your lockscreen, so you shove your phone back in your pocket.

You slowly bring yourself to a standing position. Ok, your vision is still being a bitch, but at least you aren't dizzy or anything. You're right in front of your stairs, just a few steps away. Your bathroom is upstairs, and you can't go to a party with blood on your face. You take a first careful step. You're still balanced, even though you can't see all that well. A couple more steps is all it takes to get to the front of your staircase, and you begin to carefully ascend it.

One leg after the other. Use the wall for support. Don't fall over like an idiot. Just move slowly and you don't need to see anything. You know the layout of your house like the back of your hand; you could traverse this place in your sleep. One leg after the other.

That's all it took. You've arrived on the second floor. Congratulations, you. The short hallway that leads to your bathroom is spirally and wrong. You have one arm outstretched in front of you in case you bump into anything. Your feet move forward until your hand brushes against a door handle. You turn it open, arriving at your destination. 

You waddle your way to your sink and move your hand around until you touch the thing that makes the water happen. Fuck, you think you just knocked over your stick of deodorant. Oh well. You feel around for a few seconds but your pinky brushes against your objective. A quick push is all it takes for the water to start flowing. You drop your hand underneath it, wetting it. With no time to lose, you bring it up to your lip, cleaning your face as best you can without touching your nose.

It takes a few minutes, and after finding your towel, you dry off your face and your hands, feeling adequately cleansed of blood. While you do this, you get a couple more messages. You finish drying off and pull out your phone. You can just barely make out some of the words of your notifications. There's no way you can read all of this, let alone type a coherent response, so you decide on just calling whoever messaged you.

It rings a couple times before your call is picked up.

JUNE: Hello?  
DIRK: June?  
JUNE: Oh, uh, shit. Wrong number.   
DIRK: No, w-  


You hit the end call button as fast as you can. Well, that could've been bad. Crisis averted! Ok, you'll try your hardest to look for Rose's name before you actually go through with the call. You scroll through your contacts list, squinting your eyes. Rose, Rose, Rose, where is Rose? Is that it? No, that's Roxy. You scroll for a bit more and start again from the top. Yeah, there she is. 

Things are starting to get a little clearer now. Only a little, though. You dial the number and bring your phone up to your ear. It rings once, twice, three times.

JUNE: Rose?  
ROSE: Hello June. I assume your phone has been turned off, given the lack of response to any messages from myself or Kanaya.  
JUNE: Something like that. I promise I'll be there soon, sorry about being late.  
ROSE: You were never obligated to come at all, June. This party is purely optional.  
ROSE: Though, I did suspect you would arrive at some point. May I ask about the reason for your delay?  
JUNE: Yeah, about that. I know this is unlikely, but did Jane come to the party?  
ROSE: She did, actually. Why?  
JUNE: I kind of broke my nose like twenty minutes ago and I've been trying to deal with that, but if Jane is there then I'll just show up and ask her to fix me up.  
ROSE: I suppose that would take some time out of your schedule, wouldn't it? I'll ask about it after you arrive.  
JUNE: Sure. I'll be there soon.  
ROSE: Take your time.  


You end the call and shove your phone back in your pocket. Guess that's your cue to get moving. You turn around and consider how long it would take to walk all the way back downstairs, and suddenly it seems like a really good idea to just turn into wind and let the breeze take you up through your chimney. You also consider that you could've just turned into wind and come up here that way while avoiding that silly step routine you did to get up the stairs.

You would facepalm, but that would be a bad idea with your whole nose situation. Not content to waste any more time, you let your body dissolve into air, the breeze already carrying you away and out of your house. The chimney route isn't as smooth as the front door route, but you don't have a lot of options right now.

Your body being injured doesn't affect how the breeze treats you, though it's still just as rough as it was earlier today. Its still taking you to where you want, even if it's acting a little lazy. You wonder how you could better describe a non-sapient force of reality that you are kind of a part of. Lazy still seems to fit. You put your focus back onto the direction of the winds, and soon enough, you're deposited right at the front door of the Maryam-Lalonde residence.

Its dark outside, which feels strange considering you essentially skipped all of the afternoon. You ring the doorbell, and after a few moments, the door opens with Kanaya, tall as ever, looking down at you from inside.

KANAYA: Oh  
KANAYA: What The Fuck Happened To Your Face  
JUNE: Hi Kanaya!  
KANAYA: Yes Hello June I Apologize For That Outburst  
KANAYA: Rose Told Us You Had "Broken Your Nose" But I Thought It Was Her Sarcasm As Usual Or Simply An Exaggeration Of A More Minor Issue But I See She Was Actually Being Sincere  
JUNE: Well, I don't blame you. Can I come in?  
KANAYA: Yes Of Course  
KANAYA: Jane Is Right Over Here  


You walk inside and Kanaya shuts the door behind you. Your nose barely gets a hint of the smell of tea from somewhere. You try to scan their living room and see a vaguely blue shape coming towards you. 

JANE: Oh, June, what happened to you?   
JUNE: Hey Jane. I fell and broke my nose, and that's pretty much all there is to say on the matter.  
JANE: Well, please take off your glasses so I can properly heal you. I'd rather not be the reason your sense of smell ceases to exist.  
JUNE: Oh, sure.   


You carefully take off your glasses and stow them in your pocket.

JUNE: Ok, work your magic!  


Without another word, you feel the tendrils of bright blue healing energy wrap around your head and cling to your skin. All of it sinks into your flesh, mending the cartilage and clearing your vision. In a few seconds, it's over, and you feel almost as good as new. Jane lets out a sigh of exasperation.

You take out your glasses and put them back on, almost expecting there to still be a bit of pain on the bridge of your nose. There is none, and your glasses fit you once more. Your vision sharpens and you take in the room.

Jane is right in front of you, though she's turned away from you. She's wearing something pretty casual, which is unusual for her. Kanaya comes out from behind you and begins to walk away from you. Your eyes follow her direction of movement and see Rose at the other end of the room, currently observing you.

JUNE: Hey Rose! Sorry I didn't see you when I came in.  
ROSE: You didn't see me? I wasn't exactly hiding myself.  
JUNE: Yeah, I couldn't see very well. I think I'm all good now, though.  


Jane turns back around and faces you.

JANE: You couldn't see very well?  
JUNE: Yeah, everything was pretty blurry even though I had my glasses on.   
JANE: And you didn't see fit to tell me this?  
JUNE: I kinda thought it would just get fixed when you healed me. Which it did! Thanks for that, by the way. Almost forgot.  


Jane sighs and moves over to the couple at the other end of the room. Kanaya has sat down on their very long couch, while it looks like Rose has sat down on one of two chairs they've brought into their living room. Jane makes her way to the unoccupied chair and sits down as well. You walk up to the end of the couch so you're not as far away from them.

JUNE: Why are you all sitting down? Also, where is everyone else? Isn't this a party?  
ROSE: No, it isn't.  
JUNE: Huh? But you said…  
ROSE: I'm aware of what I put on the invitation, June. You were the only one I sent that to, however.   
ROSE: Mind sitting down with us?  
JUNE: Uh, sure, I guess.  


You apprehensively move past where Kanaya has placed herself and sit on the other side of the couch. You're nearly the same distance away from Rose and Jane like this.

JUNE: So, what's all this about? If this isn't a party, what is it?  
ROSE: The short answer is that this is an intervention of sorts.  
ROSE: The three of us are concerned with your physical well being to the point that we think it's necessary to confront you, despite our reluctance to do so.  
JUNE: Confront me? What, like, you're gonna interrogate me or something?  
KANAYA: Of Course Not  
JANE: We want to help you, June. But we can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong.  
JUNE: Nothing-  


Wait. Didn't you tell yourself that you had no reason to keep your illness a secret anymore? That's what this is about, right? You can talk about this now.

You fidget with the end of your jacket and see the three of them all looking at you intently.

JUNE: Yeah. Ok.  
JANE: Ok?  
JUNE: This is about my whole, uh, being sick thing, right?  
ROSE: There are other factors, but that is certainly our primary concern.  
JANE: June, when we met for coffee the other day, you asked me to see if there was anything wrong with your body, correct?  
JUNE: Yeah, I did.  
JANE: Do you remember how I said I didn't notice anything wrong?  
JUNE: Yeah?  
JANE: That's no longer the case. I can tell, not just from my own powers, that there is something unstable about your body.  
KANAYA: I Feel I Have To Mention That It Is Not Just Jane That Has Noticed Something Is Off  
KANAYA: While She May Be Able To Confirm This, All Three Of Us Can See That Your Health Is Worsening Just By Looking At You  
JUNE: Oh. Yeah, I was wondering about that.  


You scratch the back of your head, suddenly feeling very self conscious about your sunken cheeks.

JUNE: Yeah, I, um, haven't felt great for the past few days. I don't know if this matters, but I think my blood pressure is pretty low.  
ROSE: Would you mind if you tell us what else you've been experiencing that's related to your health problems?  
JUNE: Ok. I'll just start with the main thing, but please don't freak out or anything when I tell you?  
ROSE: I promise that none of us will freak out.  
JUNE: Alright.  
JUNE: So, uh, I've been having coughing fits for a while.  
ROSE: How long is a while?  
JUNE: More than three months.  
ROSE: I see.  
KANAYA: Please Continue  
JUNE: Right, so, what usually happens is once a day or two, all of a sudden my throat will start to hurt and I'll start coughing a lot. Its really hard to breathe when it's happening, and I usually end up coughing up blood halfway through it. It takes me a while to get back to normal after one happens.  
JUNE: They didn't start off that bad though, and I'm pretty sure they're the reason why I'm able to use my aspect better now.   
JUNE: Like, you know how I just use the breeze to get everywhere now? I wasn't able to use it so easily until I started getting these.  
JUNE: I thought this was just part of that thing you told me about how our powers would expand and stuff over time, and it would stop eventually. Like your headaches, Rose.  
ROSE: My headaches have stopped, June.  
JUNE: What? Really?  
ROSE: I didn't realize it until well after the fact, but their frequency and intensity began to calm down once we started having our weekly chats. Once your coming out party rolled around, I was barely having them at all. The last time I received even a meager pain behind my eyes was over two months ago.  
JUNE: Wow, I had no idea. That's great, Rose!  
ROSE: Possibly.  
JUNE: Huh?  
ROSE: We don't know for sure if my lack of headaches is a good or bad thing, just like with your coughing fits. I don't know why the headaches started or why they ended. Similarly, I don't know why your coughing fits and other ailments have only intensified over time.   
JANE: Rose and I have been chatting with Dirk to see if we can find a solution to all of this.  


Your eyes widen and the color drains from your face.

JUNE: You've been talking with Dirk?  
ROSE: Jane-  
JANE: Yes, he told us all about your outburst, and I dread to think what would happen if we had just let this issue pass us by. Who knows what could happen to you!  
JUNE: He… he told me he wouldn't tell anybody.  
JUNE: He promised me!  
ROSE: I believe Dirk had his reasons for telling us what he did, June.  
JUNE: Yeah, well, *I* had reasons to not say any of that crap!  
JUNE: Ugh, this is going to mess up everything!  
JANE: Mess up what? June, we're just trying to help you!  
JUNE: Don't say that, this isn't about me anymore! Why did he have to lie to me?  


You stand up, and a dull thumping begins to emanate from your temples. It doesn't hurt, but it does make you more upset.

JUNE: I, I have to leave. I need to fix all of this.   
ROSE: Leave? June, you-  


You try to blend into the breeze. Your arms and legs dissolve into breath, but your torso and head are torn. The breeze is denying you. The throbbing in your temples gets worse, and tears begin to fall from your eyes.

JANE: June, please!  
ROSE: Listen to us-  
JUNE: No! I have to get out of here, I have to-  


You push back against the breeze and the right side of your face falls away. The air in the room is violent, and you barely feel the presence of your own body as you desperately claw your way out of your physical form.

JUNE: UGHHHHH!  


Your neck whips to the left, and your lungs are no longer a part of you. A painful scream escapes your mouth, and your essence is forcefully torn apart.

\-----

You struggle to keep your sense of self together. The breeze is fighting you tooth and nail, and it's taking everything you have to force it to take you anywhere else but where you just were. It's pushing back every single mile you travel through the wind, like you're moving through magma instead of air.

Eventually the breeze capitulates, and shoves you back together. Suddenly in one piece, your legs fail you, and you stumble to the ground, your hands just barely moving forward to break your fall. You land on something gravelly and rough, and your hands scrape on it. Ignoring the pain, you stand back up and try to see where you are.

There are people all around you, and most of them are looking at you. It barely registers that you're in the Troll Kingdom before your vision begins to sway. You're only just keeping your balance. You think someone is trying to talk to you, and you hear your deadname from behind you.

Your mind races at the implications. You're in public, people will figure out who you are, this will go on social media, your friends will know your location, and you'll have to confront Rose and everyone else. Not happening. You shove your essence back into the wind, and force the breeze to pick you up and carry you elsewhere.

You're swiftly knocked into wind and roughly pulled away. The air is turbulent and chaotic, and the breeze almost seems angry at you. Before you can gather your thoughts and set a destination for yourself, you're spit out again somewhere new.

The back of your head is knocked against a wall from your forced exit out of the breeze, and for a second your vision blacks out. You fall to your knees as your legs become drenched in some dirty liquid, and you somehow manage to keep yourself upright. Your head is swirling, and you feel like you're going to topple over any second now. Your eyelids flutter, and you get a blurry view of your surroundings.

You're in an alleyway with no people, and the walls and ground you're surrounded by are all black. The buildings don't look right, and the thought that you might still be in the Troll Kingdom crosses your mind. The smell of some rotten food you're unfamiliar with clogs your nostrils. Your stomach churns in protest, and you hold one of your hands to it for half a second.

It stings. Your hands feel like they're bleeding, and you slowly look down to see a few lines of red on your palms. A preemptive burp escapes your mouth, and your eyes widen. You lurch forward, placing your fingertips on the ground, and your stomach expels its contents onto the concrete. The acid races up to the roof of your mouth, and the unpleasant feeling only makes things worse.

You heave for a few seconds, and just as you think it's over, there's a horrible tickle in the back of your throat. A few tears leave your squinting eyes as you hack out a massive splattering of red matter onto the rest of your mess. A drop of blood runs past your lips and down your chin, and you fail to muster the energy to wipe it away.

You're there for a minute, dry heaving, nothing more coming out of you, at least from your mouth. A feeling of exhaustion washes over you, and it's all you can do to back up and rest yourself against the wall behind you. 

Your vision is still cloudy as you try to piece your thoughts together. You don't want to try and stand up right now. There's nothing in your stomach anymore, but you're not going to push your luck. You also don't want to rely on the breeze, as it seems like your aspect has abandoned you, at least in the moment. Can you even manipulate the air like this?

You lift a finger and try to cut a small hole in the ground next to you. The tiniest blue drill you've ever seen manifests and immediately dissolves upon contact with the ground. Great.

You let out a very quiet, very deliberate sigh. You almost reach into your sylladex to grab a pillow for your head when you realize you left your pillows at Dirk's house when you freaked out at him. You really could have handled that better. You weren't lying about anything you said, though. At least you didn't tell him everything.

Maybe that's a sign you did something wrong, or maybe it was a mistake to tell Dirk anything in the first place. After all, you wouldn't be in this shitty situation if you hadn't spilt your metaphorical guts all over him, as well as your non-metaphorical guts all over his floor. He said he wasn't going to tell anyone, didn't he? 

Maybe you should reconsider your perception of Dirk. What do you know about the guy, really? You know a couple of his interests, and what he does in his spare time, but what is he like as a person? You can't think of a single coherent thing about what his personality is. Dave has said that dude is inscrutable, but you thought he was exaggerating until now.

Actually, what do you really know about anybody? Just like Dirk, you know their interests in addition to what their problems are, but what kinds of people are your friends? Rose and Jane are smart in more ways than one, and you know they care about you, but why do they do any of the things they do? What do they think about when you're not around? Can you even guess what Rose is doing right now? 

What about Jane, then? She spends a lot of time doing business stuff, and she definitely enjoys that. Same with baking. These are just activities, though. Why does she do any of that? What makes her get up everyday and decide that what she does has meaning? What motivates her, what things does she try to avoid, what's her long term goal for herself? What do you really know about her?

Haven't you been spending the past four months figuring this stuff out?

In hindsight, you were being pretty dramatic with Dirk, even if you were emotional in the moment. At least, that's what you thought. You're failing to come up with even basic stuff to say about two people you've known for years, one of whom is one of your childhood friends. You've known them for so long, and you can only come up with surface level observations.

What else are you missing?

Your breathing seems to be stable now. The separate parts of your body are now responding clearly, even if you kind of ache all over. You feel a drop of something warm slowly fall down the back of your neck. You reach a couple fingers back there and touch something wet. You bring your fingers back to where you can see them, and it doesn't even register when you see the tips of them coated in blood.

You really are dying, huh?

Well, maybe not right this moment, you're way too awake for that. Even though there's no direct light near you, the cloudy sky above you still reflecting light from the moon is making the spaces behind your eyes throb. How many symptoms are going to pile up before you finally kick the bucket? 

You sigh again, this time your breathing much more even. You suppose it's time to stop having an emotional crisis and just…

What were you going to do? You know there was something important. It feels like the answer should jump out at you, but it's just slightly out of your reach. You guess you'll figure it out later. Probably won't matter, since you can't get there anyways. Your breath powers have vanished, no doubt linked to your deteriorating health. You guess you could retcon wherever you need to go, but you have to actually know where and when your destination is. You don't want to pop up in some random corner of reality.

You slowly stand up, the wall to your back supporting your weight as you do. Your vision starts to tilt, the world running up and down, and you stop moving. You can barely keep yourself upright. You'll be ok if you can get moving, probably. Baby steps.

You turn your head to the right, and it looks like that's the way out onto the street. You remember that trolls are nocturnal, and you could probably get away with walking around like a random homeless person since it's nighttime. You guess you'll take your chances.

You press your right arm against the wall and turn your body to face the street. You slowly shamble your way out of the alleyway, your body groaning at you all the way. Despite how much you've been sleeping, you wish you could just lie down and sleep for another ten hours. The dirty, uncomfortable, and uneven surface of the asphalt has never seemed so enticing.

You stagger a few steps to the end of the alleyway, and a few trolls pass you. Either they didn't see you or purposefully ignored you, which is perfectly fine with you. You hear a notification chime from the phone in your pocket. You fumble for a minute before groggily fishing it out. Looks like the screen cracked when you got thrown against the wall a few minutes ago.

It takes another minute to put in your pin. It's like your body is drunk while your mind is completely, painfully sober. You hover your thumb over to pesterchum to see who it was. Karkat? Huh. Wonder what he's got to tell you. He's usually too busy with work stuff or Dave stuff to pay you any mind. Guess you'll see what's up.

CG: HEY I KNOW WE DON'T USUALLY TALK BUT I'VE GOT TO LET YOU IN ON SOMETHING SO YOU DON'T MAKE A TOTAL ASS OF YOURSELF LIKE I JUST DID  
CG: YOU'RE PROBABLY BUMMING AROUND WITH SOMEONE TO FILL YOUR WEIRD SOCIAL INTERACTION QUOTA FOR THE DAY BUT YOU NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO READ EVERYTHING I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU  
CG: DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS OR SO  
CG: IF YOU'RE NOT PRESENTABLE THEN MAKE YOURSELF THAT WAY  
CG: YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A MORON OR ANY VARIATION OF MORON CONSIDERING THE ABSOLUTE STORM OF SHIT THAT WOULD BEFALL YOU IF YOU NEGLECT YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE  
CG: I KNOW YOU DO MAKEUP NOW SO IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO SPRUCE YOURSELF UP, MAKE YOUR FACE ALL FANCY AND SHIT  
CG: I THINK THATS HOW THAT WORKS, YOU WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN ME  
CG: ALSO, TAKE A PAGE OUT OF JADE'S BOOK AND KEEP YOUR PLACE CLEAN AND PROFESSIONAL, IF YOUR RESPITE BLOCK HAS EVEN A SINGLE SPECK OF DUST BE PREPARED TO HAVE YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU ON A SILVER PLATTER BY WAY OF VERBAL HUMILIATION  
CG: SERIOUSLY I'M GETTING FUCKING EVICERATED BY THESE TWO OVER HERE  
CG: ACTUALLY I PROBABLY SHOULD'VE STARTED WITH THAT  
CG: TEREZI IS BACK  
CG: AND SHE BROUGHT VRISKA WITH HER  


Your grip on your phone fails and it clatters to the ground. Your brain is throbbing out of your skull, your stomach is starting to churn again, and your heart is beating so fast that time seems to have slowed down. You can't believe it. No wonder you couldn't see it. No wonder nothing changed.

This is it. This is the moment where everything goes off the rails, and where life takes a turn for the worse for everyone. It all makes sense now. The reason you couldn't change the future is because you weren't around to deal with those two arriving. Somehow, this changes things enough where it leads to the future you've become all too familiar with.

Everything depends on how you respond to this. 

And you're dying in an alleyway.

You sink to your knees, tears beginning to cloud your vision. The utter stupidity of your actions from the past four months hits you like a truck. Of course you weren't able to see where it all went wrong. It was so obvious that you finally realize how much of a complete moron you are.

You can't even begin to think of how this changes things. You're so far away from all of it now that if you just faded away in the next five minutes, you're sure it wouldn't matter to anyone. History would already be on a path to doom for your friends, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's almost meaningless to even try to change things now.

Well, if there's nothing you can do about it, what do you do?

What can you do now?

What do you not want to happen?

You don't want to be in pain.

You don't want your hands to hurt.

You don't want to puke.

You don't want to cough up blood.

You don't want to be exhausted.

You don't want to be dirty.

You don't want to feel disgusting.

You don't want to be here.

You don't want to be seen by strangers.

You don't want your friends to see you like this.

You don't want anyone to know how much things hurt.

What do you want, then?

You want to feel safe.

You want to feel loved.

You want to feel like you belong.

You want to feel comfortable.

You want to feel warm.

You want to be somewhere familiar.

You want to be near someone else.

You want to be near someone you know.

You want to be with someone you care about.

You want to be with someone you trust.

You want to be near someone happy.

You want to look at the face of someone you love and see them smile.

You want to see Jade.

You want to see your sister.

You're already picturing it. The snowy trees, the cold but still wind. The stone walkway that leads into the forest. The dog that licks your hands. The winding halls of the lab. The concrete that's somehow more homely than the walls of your own house.

The furniture. The colors on the walls. The pipes leading here and there. The pictures of your friends. The gentle glow of buttons on machines you don't know the purpose of. The tiny kitchen only one person can use. The quaint rack of coats and goggles. The small dining table that's more unique than anything you own.

The gentle glow of your sister's face as she looks at you and smiles.

You want to see it.

You want to see her.

An electric blue haze envelops your body, and you're there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me realize I completely forgot about Callie's quirk in Silver Linings, so I'm gonna go back and fix that. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for your comments thus far, its like 80% of the reason I'm able to keep writing. The next two chapters might take a while since I'm going to upload both of them at the same time. It'll take at least a week, but probably more.


	7. Day ???

You hear a voice, somewhere in the distance. It sounds frantic, like it's worried about something. There's a rumbling within your body, but it's not uncomfortable. Before long though, it's over, and all of a sudden you feel

very

still.

\-----

There's a light in your eyes and a whisper in your ear. You don't like the way it sounds. It tells you things you don't want to hear. You welcome the silence that follows. The quiet, overwhelming darkness that envelops you locks your limbs in place. You feel trapped, but you can't bring yourself to complain.

\-----

Another brief awakening. Even being vaguely aware is so exhausting. You just wish you could go back to not knowing anything. You aren't kept awake for long.

\-----

There's an absence here. You don't know what should be filling it's place, but it makes you restless.

\-----

You breathe in, but no air gathers in your lungs. Not the kind you want, anyways.

\-----

It sounds like it's crying this time. A feeling in the back of your mind tells you that you don't want to hear it, and yet you're unable to tune out your senses. You try to say something, anything to get it to stop. You fail.

\-----

A pressure, tight and warm. It's gone before you realize it's there. You don't care enough to want it to come back.

\-----

It's quiet. Really quiet.

Maybe you can finally get some rest.

\-----

You're uncomfortable. There's something poking you at your side. It doesn't go away, even though you want it to.

\-----

A dull light pierces you, and you flinch without opening your eyes. Not that you could.

\-----

The light is gone. You're still being poked. It feels worse.

\-----

It feels worse.

\-----

It feels worse.

\-----

It feels worse. Your eyes flutter.

\-----

It's almost unbearable. 

\-----

Your finger twitches from the pain.

\-----

It's almost like you can breathe again. Almost.

\-----

Maybe it's close enough.

\-----

You can't sleep anymore.

\-----

An awful burning sensation arches across your right side and your back lurches. Your eyes burst open, catching shades of gray and black. You throw yourself to the left and hit the ground, your limbs seizing from the sudden activity. There's barely any light, so you force your right arm to move down and inspect your stomach. 

It stings, but it doesn't feel like anything that bad. The shock of waking is starting to fade, as is the pain, so you look around. 

You're in some kind of square room. There's a few flickering lights that just illuminate things enough for you to see everything else. The bed you launched yourself from got knocked over when you flailed off of it. Two of the walls are covered in retro looking computer screens and keypads. The wall to the opposite of where the bed was has a couple plain cabinets, while the other three walls are bare. In the center of the room is a transportalizer pad.

You stand up, your muscles straining. It feels like you've been asleep for ages. Your clothes are some crappy hospital gown thing, which feels way too loose. Where the hell is this place? You're pretty sure you zapped to Jade's place, so why are you here, in this room with no doors?

You decide to investigate the cabinets, and walk over to them. You open them and peer over what's inside. There's some folded up lab coats, a manila folder filled with papers, and what looks like a box of crackers. Seeing those makes you realize you're actually incredibly hungry, and you don't even pay attention to what type of cracker these are as you open the box and shove a handful in your mouth.

They're unimaginably stale. Whatever flavor there was in these has been lost, but you keep eating. You don't stop until you've downed half of the box. You think you could just keep eating, but you might want the rest later, so you close the box and captchalogue it. You turn your attention back to the other stuff. The lab coat would probably be better than your current hospital gown, but you realise you don't need either. You've got your godhood, remember?

With a thought, your gown is switched for your blue god-tier garb, yellow shoes and all. It's a lot more comfortable than you remember it being, and it looks like it's matched to your current proportions. It's been a long time since you've worn these. All that's left now is the folder. You grab it and read some of the first paper on top. 

Wow, this is a lot of jargon. You have no idea what any of this is saying. Half of the words look like medical conditions you've never heard of. You flip to the next paper. Yep, all the same crap. You skim through it, and- is that your name? Are these about you?

You flip to the next one, looking for your name. After a few lines you spot it, right near the top. The next one has a few pictures. They look like a view of a pair of lungs, though they don't look like normal lungs. You're not feeling so great about these anymore. You put all the papers back and captchalogue the folder, stowing it away with the crackers.

You try to take your phone out of your sylladex only to find that it's not there. You remember dropping your phone after freaking out about something. What was that about? You think you were in an alley or something, and Karkat sent you a message. There was something about…

Oh, fuck. Terezi and Vriska. How did you forget? You have no idea what's going on with them, and you need to get on top of things as soon as you can. Hopefully Jade has been managing well without you. You turn around and your gaze falls on the transportalizer. Nowhere else left to move but forward. You step on the pad, and in an instant you're somewhere else. 

The first thing that strikes you is the light. Your eyes adjust, and you slowly open them to the world around you. You're no longer inside, and the sky is wide open to you. The place you're standing on looks like the floor of a building that got all of its walls blown off, with only the foundation standing. You turn your eyes upward, and the sight that welcomes you is completely alien.

The sky is a mess of whirlwinds, lightning, and deep blue clouds. Bolts of electricity strike things in the distance every second, and the chaotic rumbling of the blue haze enveloping the sky turns your blood to ice. You know it's daytime, but there's not a single ray of sunshine you can see poking through the clouds.

All around you lie the ruins of buildings, steel and wood beams poking out from the wreckage here and there. Everything has been upended, like the ground was torn up by an earthquake and left unrepaired. You can't see anyone nearby.

You step away from the transportalizer and onto what's left of the street. You scan the area around you, seeing the same things you've just seen, just further away. You decide to start walking in a direction. It probably doesn't matter where you go. You'll look around while you walk to try and get an idea of where you are. 

Your feet begin to move along the uneven ground, stepping over stones and debris, thoughts beginning to crop up in your head. There's dozens of things you're asking yourself, with dozens of answers that don't suffice. There's one prevailing over all of them, though:

When did Earth C become such a shithole?

\-----

You got tired of walking pretty quickly. It's been a couple hours since you started hovering, and the scenery has only started to change recently. What began as a decimated urban landscape slowly transitioned to something resembling a suburb. You put together that whatever torn apart city you're in is, or was, part of the Carapacian Kingdom.

And yet, you haven't seen a single one. There have been markings and such; indicators that there were once people here. Most of the individual houses out here have been left alone. Abandoned, almost. 

You haven't gone inside any, but you've found the doors have been left unlocked on almost every place you tried, like whoever lived here got out in a hurry. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they were probably afraid of whatever destroyed the city this suburb is connected to. 

You hover past the side of a two story house. There's bright red graffiti all over one of its walls. The words are a phrase you've seen a couple times on the few still standing walls of the buildings you passed before you got here.

"NO GODS - NO KINGS - NO FUTURE"

It's a bit on the nose, you think. You don't really blame them for thinking like that, though. You look up and peer at the sky, the swirling mass of storm clouds still enveloping everything. The blue pillars of wind sprouting from the sky and scraping the earth are all still in view, highlighted by the occasional lightning strike.

You're not really wondering what they were running from, just where they were running to. You can't imagine there's any place that's any safer than where they already were. It doesn't look like you'll get a chance to ask anyone about it, though.

You continue to float past, your mind drifting. Ever since you stepped on that transportalizer, you've felt a pressure. One that feels familiar, yet unknown. It's both in your temples and throughout your entire body, impossible to escape. You have yet to discover the reason for this. 

As you float above the abandoned homes of people you've never known, your godhood flapping in the wind, a thought occurs to you. It's been staring you in the face since you left that room, but you've been too occupied by the destruction and the obfuscation of the sky to acknowledge it. It's something you knew from the start, and you stubbornly refused to ask yourself a simple question.

Is this your fault?

Your automatic reaction is to say no, since everything was like this when you woke up. That's just an excuse, though. This entire experience is eerily reminiscent of your future excursions, but much, much worse. Regardless of if your friends are still around or not, this is already so much more terrible than what you saw before. At most, there were signs of conflict, a few sites of destruction here and there. Nothing like this.

You really don't want to think about it, but if the crazy shit in the sky is what caused all of this damage, then there's no guarantee that all of this destruction is localized. It's possible this storm could be enveloping the entire kingdom, and you would have no idea.

There's something in the back of your mind that tells you there's not a single place on Earth that's been untouched by the storms. If that's true, then there's no doubt about it. You are the one to blame for all of this. Just by being out of the picture, you prevented yourself from being able to help. The weather is your whole thing! Or, part of your thing, anyways.

So, you're certain of the who, but not of the when or how. How long have you been out of commission for, and what caused this freakish storm in the first place? You can't even begin to speculate about how, but you've got ideas about the when.

You slowly descend to a single story house and look at your reflection in the glass of a window. It's dirty, but your image comes through clear enough. You don't look that different to when you were last conscious, really. Maybe a bit worse, a bit closer to death. But it can't have been that long. 

Just floating around here has started to tire you, even though you're not really doing anything. You've barely even walked around, but your body is dragging along through the air like you've got weights tied to your ankles. You wonder how much time you've got left. Probably not a lot.

It doesn't bother you as much as you feel like it should. You know it would be sad if you died, and you're sad that all of this crap happened when you weren't awake, but you can't seem to make yourself flip out over it. Maybe you got out all your emotional meltdowns out of your system, or maybe you're just too tired to care right now. Maybe both. 

You think you can still just retcon back to before your incident at the Maryam-Lalondes' place, but you want to stay here for a while more. You need information, and that's something that's been sorely lacking in your quest to save everyone from disaster. This is, what, the fifth time you failed to do that? Sixth? You're starting to lose count.

Maybe that's why you can't seem to care. This particular failure is notable for how extreme and different it is, but it's not like the result is that much different. It doesn't even feel real at this point. You know you can just zap back at any time, so does any of this count? 

You float a few feet downwards until your feet touch the ground. You take a few steps forward and turn around, placing your back against the wall of this stranger's house. You slowly slide down to a sitting position and look back up at the sky.

The clouds are chaotic, tumbling over each other in all directions. The coloration is darker in some places and lighter in others, but it's all some shade of blue. It reminds you of your land, before you cleared out all of the oil. Now, that's something you haven't thought about in a while.

Despite the ferocity of the winds and the intensity of the weather, you consider the possibility of using your breath powers to calm things down. Maybe you were just too out of it to use them properly last time. You hold out your hand and try to feel around for the breeze.

An intense pressure begins to push against your temples as your ears pop, like the air pressure just went up a lot at once. You'll take that as confirmation. You push your focus to a spot in the clouds, and try to make things disperse. 

The pressure gets a bit worse, but you can see the clouds slowing down and becoming peaceful around the area you're looking at. You press on, the palm of your hand beginning to glow a faint blue. The pressure is almost painful now, but you keep it up. You think you can almost see a few  
rays of sunlight poking through the clouds! A little bit more, and-

The pain increases tenfold, and your focus breaks instantly. Your arm falls and your head is knocked back into the wall by a burst of air. As soon as it makes contact, the pressure and the pain disappears. There are stars in your eyes, and the edges of your vision are dipped in black. You stay still for a few moments, waiting for everything to come back to normal.

Your sight clears soon, and you gaze up at the spot you were focusing on. The fierce storm has moved back in, and the sunlight has been covered up again. Guess you won't be doing that again any time soon. You're glad you were sitting down for that, it could've been bad if that sudden force had whipped you while you were flying.

What was that, anyways? You thought you were the only one who could control breath. Before you can think about the implications, a source of light in the sky catches your eye. You didn't notice it given how focused you were, but now that you see it, it's actually something that's getting closer. You stand up, making sure to stay balanced, and walk forward a dozen paces.

The flying thing looks too small and too slow to be a plane. It's a bit bigger than a person, though it could just be farther away than it seems. Now that it's a bit closer, you can make out something red poking out from either side of it. They look almost like wings… is it a person with a jetpack?

In any case, you can tell they're headed right for you. Shit, what if you have to defend yourself? Despite the long nap, you're still in no condition to fight. Do you even have anything in your strife specibus? You do a quick check and see your Warhammer of Zillyhoo. That's about all you need.

Before you can consider a course of action, you hear the crackle of gravel and a voice behind you.

VRISKA: Hey Eg8ert.  


You turn around, and the last thing you see before you black out is a gray fist headed for your face.

\-----

Vriska looks at June's body, sprawled out on the pavement in front of some random dude's house. She didn't think that would actually knock her out, but it doesn't matter that much. Vriska brings her spider-themed wrist communicator up to her mouth and speaks into it.

VRISKA: Got her!  
TEREZI: WH4T DO YOU M34N YOU GOT H3R  
VRISKA: Knocked her out, like I said I was going to! Didn't even put up a fight or anything, just one clock to the face and she was out.  
TEREZI: 1 THOUGHT YOU W3R3 JOK1NG 4BOUT TH4T  
VRISKA: No way! Gotta repay her for knocking me out that time we were kids.   
TEREZI: WH4T  
VRISKA: What do you mean, what?  
TEREZI: SP34K UP 1TS H4RD TO H34R YOU OV3R TH3 SOUND OF MY J3TP4CK  
VRISKA: Nah, I'm just gonna w8 until you get here. You're like, right there.  
TEREZI: F1N3  


Vriska cranes her head up and to the right, observing Terezi closing in, the smoke from her jetpack leaving a trail behind her. Vriska mindlessly taps her foot on the ground and fidgets with her hands, keeping herself occupied. She doesn't have to wait long before Terezi swoops down and lands next to her and June's unconscious body.

Terezi takes off her red dragon helmet and captchalogues it. She moves closer to inspect June while Vriska starts to talk, lightning crackling in the distance all the while.

VRISKA: So, we're finally getting out of this stupid timeline, huh? I thought we were never gonna get a read on her!   
VRISKA: 8ut, here she is! How long has it 8een since all three of us were in the same place?  
TEREZI: S1NC3 TH3 V1CTORY PL4TFORM STR4T3GY M33T1NG  
TEREZI: 1T WOULD'V3 B33N SOON3R 1F J4D3 H4D 4CTUALLY L3T US S33 H3R BUT TH4T SH1P S41L3D B3FOR3 W3 3V3N GOT H3R3  
VRISKA: Ughhhhhhhh, I can't 8elieve it took us this long to actually sort out her little temper tantrum.   
TEREZI: 1S TH4T WH4T YOU'R3 GO1NG W1TH? T3MP3R T4NTRUM?  
VRISKA: What! That's totally what it was.  
TEREZI: UH HUH  


Vriska scowls as Terezi picks up June by the armpits and, her feet dragging along the ground, brings her right in front of Vriska.

TEREZI: C4RRY H3R  
VRISKA: What! No, why would I?  
TEREZI: B3C4US3 YOU'R3 TH3 ON3 WHO KNOCK3D H3R OUT FOR NO R34SON  
VRISKA: Oh, come on. If anything, you should 8e the one to carry her! You didn't even do anything, I did all the work here!  
TEREZI: 1T 1S B3C34S3 YOU D1D 4LL TH3 WORK TH4T W3 H4V3 TO C4RRY H3R 4T 4LL  


Terezi insistently pushes June against Vriska, her mouth drawn into a flat line. Vriska opens her mouth to say something, pauses, and slings June over her shoulder.

VRISKA: Fine, 8ut only 8ecause this is our last day in this dump!  


\-----

You wake to the sound of laughter and conversation from somewhere in the distance. You're sitting in a pretty comfortable chair, with your neck hanging forward. You blink open your eyes and ignore the dull pain emanating from your skull to look around whatever place you're in.

You're inside a fairly large white room with lots of furniture and decorations. There's several other different kinds of chairs near the one you're sitting in, with a square table in the middle of all of them, supported by cinder blocks. There's pictures of horses, some of which are done in a strange and uncomfortably erotic style. There are also posters with anime characters you've never seen before, aside from one you do recognize.

Aside from the chairs, there's a couple mini fridges, some audio equipment, and what looks like a safe, all in seemingly random places. Essentially everything on the walls has been defaced with chalk and spray paint of several colors, but mostly red and blue. It might be amusing on a regular day, but your head is still spinning a bit, and you have no earthly idea where you are. 

You decide to explore a bit, and by explore, you mean figure out who those voices belong to. You lift yourself from the chair and test your balance. The world is still a bit unstable, so you decide to just float around for now. Hovering just a few centimeters off of the ground, you slowly head in the direction of the noises.

You soon realize the voices are coming from behind a door, of which there are a few in this big room. The doorknob twists open, and you observe the room you've just entered. The graffiti on the walls is much heavier, and there's a couple large beds, along with a few other pieces of furniture. What your eyes are drawn to first, however, are the two trolls sitting together on one of the beds, now looking at you.

VRISKA: Hey June!!!!!!!!  
TEREZI: WH4TS UP  
JUNE: Holy crap.  
JUNE: Hey guys!  


Vriska motions you over to sit down with them, and you comply. As you sit down on the bed opposite to theirs, the two waste no time engaging you in conversation.

VRISKA: What took you so long to wake up?  
TEREZI: YOU SM3LL L1K3 SH1T  
JUNE: Oh, come on. First time you've seen me in like, three years, and that's what you say?  
VRISKA: Its true, Eg8ert. You totally look like shit!  
TEREZI: YOU COULD NOT SM3LL WORS3 1F YOU TR13D  
JUNE: Bluhhh I get it, I'm super gross, can I tell you how happy I am to see you now?  
VRISKA: Well, don't let us stop you.  
JUNE: Ok, well. I'm happy to see you two.  
TEREZI: L4M3  
JUNE: Maybe!  
TEREZI: TH3R3 1S NO M4YB3 JUN3  
TEREZI: 1T W4S ULTR4 L4M3 4ND TH4T 1S 4 F4CT  
JUNE: Oh yeah? I'd like to see you do better!  
TEREZI: OH BUT 1 4LR34DY H4V3  
TEREZI: "YOU SM3LL L1K3 SH1T" R3M3MB3R  
VRISKA: She's got you there.  
JUNE: Anyways. Where are we? Who's place is this? It looks like you two have been here a while.  
VRISKA: Its Dirk's!  
JUNE: Wow, really?  
VRISKA: Yeah, the dude had all this extra space he was just using for jack shit, so we jacked his shit. Some of it, anyways.  
JUNE: Isn't that stealing?   
VRISKA: Well yeah, but he either didn't care or was too desperate to actually complain.  
VRISKA: Which is fine with us, cause we would've just holed up here anyways. Not a whole lot we can do about those storms without him!  
JUNE: The storms?   
TEREZI: DON'T 3V3N 4CT L1K3 YOU D1DN'T S33 HOW FUCK3D 1T 1S OUT TH3R3  
TEREZI: W3 BOTH KNOW YOU W3R3 4W4K3 LONG 3NOUGH TO NOT1C3 TH3 3V3RPR3S3NT BLU3B3RRY BULLSH1T COV3R1NG TH3 SKY  
JUNE: No, I got that, I mean, how can Dirk do anything about it? I tried to get it to calm down a little and I could barely do anything!  
TEREZI: 4LR1GHT 1'M M4K1NG 4N 3X3CUT1V3 D3C1S1ON TO SK1P 4LL OUR USU4L NONS3NS3 AND G3T YOU UP TO SP33D ON WH4TS H4PP3N3D S1NC3 YOU F3LL 1NTO 4 COM4 L1K3 4 LOS3R  
JUNE: I was in a coma?!  
TEREZI: UGH  
VRISKA: Look June, I know you're confused about stuff, and we'll tell you everything that's going on! 8ut we have to wait until the 8oys get 8ack 8efore we can really get into it, so you've just gotta wait until then.  
JUNE: Well alright, but can you at least tell me how long I was out for?  


Terezi grins and opens her mouth to speak.


	8. Day 521

JUNE: A year and a half!?  


You're holding the sides of your head, trying to keep it from falling off of your body from the shock. Terezi has equipped some type of red dragon helmet computer, and Vriska has crossed one leg over the other, pressing her hands against the covers of the bed.

VRISKA: Don't 8e a wiggler a8out this! A year and a half is, what, not even a full sweep? You should 8e happy you woke up when you did! For all we know, you could've never woken up at all!   
JUNE: I mean, I guess? It feels like I lost so much time, though. Actually, if it's really been that long, why don't I look any older? I just look sicker.  
VRISKA: I was wondering about that too, actually. My 8est guess is the other Strider and one of the space players did a crazy fraymotif to keep you in some kind of time stasis.  
JUNE: Dave? Where is he, actually? Where is everyone else?  
VRISKA: We'll get to that when Dirk comes 8ack!!  
JUNE: Bluhhhh, fine.  
RISKA: ::::)  


You bring your hands down and try to relax a little. You really want to find out what's going on with your other friends, especially since you didn't think there would be anyone you knew still here. What made this future so different to the rest?

JUNE: Well, if I can't ask about anyone else, what about you? What have you been up to since you arrived on Earth C?   
VRISKA: I thought you'd never ask!  
TEREZI: R3M3MB3R TO K33P TH1NGS R3L3V4NT  
VRISKA: Yeah, yeah, I know!  
VRISKA: Oh! 8efore I forget, good jo8 on the new name and gender! Was wondering when you were gonna figure that out.  
JUNE: Oh, uh, thanks!  
VRISKA: No pro8lem!  
VRISKA: Now, what have we 8een up to? I'll just hit the important stuff so this doesn't get 8oring.  
VRISKA: So, after deploying the ultimate weapon, some stuff happened, and LE got shoved into a 8lack hole along with 8asically everyone else in the 8u88les. I wasn't too keen on sticking around, so I stole the luck of this freaky light show of a sprite who had an a8solutely ridiculous amount of luck, and got out of there.  
VRISKA: Mission accomplished! After that, I flew around for a while, looking for the way 8ack and 8ored out of my pan, when after a while Terezi spotted me and 8rought me 8ack!  
VRISKA: It wasn't that long for me, 8ut apparently you all had 8een hanging out on Earth C for a sweep without us!  
VRISKA: We hopped around catching up with everyone, 8ut we didn't really have a lot of time to relax and soak in the sights. You were found half dead in Jade's hive the day after we got there, and she didn't want us to see you.  
VRISKA: I was going to just let things sort themselves out, 8ut apparently you had a 8reath fueled shitfit 8efore we got there, which turned into the 8ig fuckoff storm that swallowed up the atmosphere.  
JUNE: Oh.  
TEREZI: OH 1S R1GHT  
VRISKA: Dirk practically 8egged us to help him out with what was going on, so we went along with it.   
TEREZI: BULLSH1T, YOU W3R3 JUST GO1NG TO FUCK AROUND 1F 1 D1DN'T CONV1NC3 YOU TH4T H3 W4SN'T FULL OF SH1T  
VRISKA: Well, yeah, 8ut I did listen to you.  
TEREZI: 1 KNOW 1'M JUST S3TT1NG TH3 R3CORD STR41GHT  
VRISKA: Aaaaaaaanyways, it was pretty clear Dirk had no idea what he was doing, so we started crashing at his place and I assumed leadership of this whole mission thing he had going. Pretty standard stuff, really.  
VRISKA: Once your 8ig fucking storm started wrecking shit, we went out on rescue missions and set up these cool underground shelters for all the people displaced 8y the tornadoes that showed up here and there.  
VRISKA: It was pretty fun! Definitely hero shit, and you can never run out of suita8le hero shit to do.  
VRISKA: Some other stuff happened that I'll let Dirk explain, and eventually you woke up! Good thing too, it was starting to get pretty 8oring just doing rescue missions and nothing else.  
JUNE: You seem pretty happy about that.  
VRISKA: I am!  
VRISKA: Let me tell you something, June. This place kind of fucking sucks. I know I've made it sound like its 8een nothing 8ut moonlight and rain8ows, 8ut I didn't even get to just chill the fuck out and enjoy the fruits of my la8or!  
VRISKA: Like, we got a couple days, if that, to just dick around and see what dum8 nonsense everyone was up to.   
VRISKA: Don't get me wrong, it's 8een great just doing cool shit with the 8est moirail a gal can ask for-  
TEREZI: <>  
VRISKA: - 8ut it feels like I got fucking 88ed! Yeah, I won and everything, 8ut when do I get to just fucking relax?? I'm tired of constantly saving everyone's asses!  
VRISKA: That's why I'm glad we found you when we did.  
JUNE: Why?  
VRISKA: 8ecause you are going to make none of this ever happen!  
JUNE: Well, yeah, I could just go back and retcon all of this right now, if you want.   
TEREZI: ONLY 1F YOU W4NT M3 TO B34T YOUR 4SS 1NTO TH3 GROUND  
JUNE: Woah, what?  
TEREZI: W3 ST1LL H4V3 SH1T W3 N33D TO G1V3 YOU B3FOR3 YOU GO B4CK AND 3R4S3 TH1S T1M3L1NE FROM 3X1ST4NC3  
TEREZI: T3LL M3 JUN3, WH4T W3R3 YOU GO1NG TO DO ONC3 YOU GOT B4CK TO TH3 P4ST?  
JUNE: Oh, uh. I haven't thought about that yet.  
TEREZI: 3X4CTLY  
TEREZI: W3 H4V3 TO M4K3 SUR3 YOU DO TH1NGS R1GHT W1TH1N 4 C3RT41N T1M3FR4M3  
JUNE: A certain timeframe? Why?  
TEREZI: B3C4US3, STUP1D  


Terezi leans forward and puts extra emphasis on her next sentence.

TEREZI: YOU H4V3 L3SS TH4N TW3NTY FOUR HOURS TO L1V3  


You blink a couple times. Did she just say what you think she just said? You turn your head to Vriska, and she just shrugs.

VRISKA: Them's the 8r8ks!  


\-----

It's been nearly half an hour since you woke up, and you've explored all of Dirk's house top to bottom. Apparently his first floor is where he kept most of his living arrangements, save for his bedroom on the fifth and final floor, which is why Terezi and Vriska set up shop there. You wouldn't have guessed they would put up with being confined to a single floor, and you were right. Essentially every floor except for the fifth has something that they've clearly messed with or personalized.

Turns out his basement is where he keeps all his alchemization equipment, which makes sense to you. You weren't paying too much attention to what other purposes the other floors served, as you thoughts have been pretty occupied with what Terezi and Vriska told you. It still hasn't really hit you.

It's easy enough to understand. It's not like they asked you to solve a crazy hard math problem, they just explained what happened while you were asleep. Yeah, you get that the world is pretty much terrible now, and yeah, you understand that it's pretty much your fault that it's terrible. But that's not what's tripping you up.

You don't remember ever making a "8ig fucking storm", especially one that persists for over a year without you keeping it around. You're not even sure that's a thing you can do, but apparently you did it. Whatever, you just have to accept it. Dirk should know more, if they were telling the truth about that. But, none of that is that big of a deal compared to the other thing.

You have less than a day to do all the things they want you to do in the past to make sure everything is fine before you fall over and die for some reason. Terezi claimed that she could see you make a choice after all of that which would result in your death. You know you're dying, and have been dying, for months now, but you didn't think it would happen so soon. You didn't know you had so little time.

You've completed your tour of Dirk's stupidly large house and made it all the way back to the first floor, where you're now saving your energy in the chair you woke up in. The same thoughts keep running around in your head, and you're wishing that Dirk would just get here already. You're already short on time, how much more of it do you have to waste? You can't just skip ahead, as Terezi forbade you from retconning anywhere until you were ready to commence the plan.

Of course, that can't happen until Dirk returns. So here you are, pondering your imminent demise, and it's startlingly difficult to get more worked up about it than you already are. It's mostly just an underlying sense of dread and anxiety, but other than that, it's hard to feel more than that about your death.

That's what you're confronting: your death. Your imminent demise. It feels like it should be a bigger deal to you than this, but you can't make yourself feel anything more than what you're already feeling. Is that a good thing? Aren't people supposed to be really scared of this? 

You had already accepted it somewhat. You just didn't want to die before you accomplished your objective. Maybe its because you're actually going to do that that things don't seem all that bad. Sure, you'd rather live, but if the alternative is everyone else dying and the world going to shit, then you'll just have to suck it up and take one for the team, and dammit, if you aren't a team player.

As you stare out into empty space, it occurs to you that you never actually got to see Jade before you ended up here. She saw you apparently, but not the other way around. Hopefully you'll have enough time within the limited frame you have left to talk with her one last time.

God, this is depressing.

You consider what you can do to take up the time, and it only takes a moment to come to a decision. You pull out the box of stale crackers from your sylladex and start to munch on them. May as well do something while you're waiting.

\-----

Terezi lays down on her bed, her helmet cradled in her arm. She hears Vriska tapping away on her palmhusk, most likely sending Dirk a message. She grumbles out a sigh and decides to get this over with. She presses a button on her helmet and speaks.

TEREZI: 1 C4N'T B3L13V3 1 H4V3 TO DO TH1S SH1T 4G41N  


Vriska turns around and sends her last message, not bothering to check for a response. She sits down next to Terezi, making sure not to disturb her.

VRISKA: I know, right? How many times do we have to 8ail these chumps out?  
TEREZI: TH4TS NOT WH4T 1 M34NT  
TEREZI: 1'M T4LK1NG 4BOUT B41L1NG JUN3 OUT SP3C1F1C4LLY TO PR3V3NT 4 BULLSH1T T1M3L1N3 WH3R3 3V3RYTH1NG SUCKS  
TEREZI: 4ND B3FOR3 YOU S4Y WH4T YOU'R3 TH1NK1NG, 1 KNOW 1T W4SN'T 4CTU4LLY TH1S M3  
TEREZI: BUT 1T F33LS W31RD TH4T 1TS H4PP3N1NG 4G41N  
TEREZI: 1F TH4T M4K3S S3NS3  
VRISKA: Yeah, I think I get it.  
TEREZI: DO YOU  
VRISKA: What do you mean, do I??  
TEREZI: 1 M34N DO YOU 4CTU4LLY G3T 1T OR 4R3 YOU JUST S4Y1NG TH4T  
VRISKA: What the hell does that-  
VRISKA: Actually, you know what? You've been real testy today, and I don't know why, 8ut I'm not going to let you mope around on our last day here. So are you gonna tell me what's up, or do I have to do something drastic?  
TEREZI: …   
TEREZI: YOU K33P T4LK1NG 4BOUT HOW TH1S 1S OUR L4ST D4Y H3R3  
VRISKA: Isn't it?  
TEREZI: 1T 1S  
TEREZI: TH1S 3NT1R3 T1M3L1N3 W1LL N3V3R COM3 TO B3 4ND 3V3RY ON3 OF US W1LL V4N1SH 1F W3 PL4Y OUR C4RDS R1GHT  
TEREZI: BUT TH4T DO3SN'T M34N 1T W1LL H4V3 N3V3R H4PP3N3D  
VRISKA: And what do you mean 8y that?  
TEREZI: 1 M34N 3X4CTLY TH4T  
TEREZI: JUST B3C4US3 TH3S3 V3RS1ONS OF US STOP 3X1ST1NG DO3SN'T M34N TH3Y N3V3R D1D  
TEREZI: R3M3MB3R HOW 1 TOLD YOU 1 COULD C4TCH GL1MPS3S OF MY OTH3R S3LV3S  
VRISKA: Yeah? I thought that only happens when you try.  
TEREZI: 3X4CTLY. TH3 V3RY F1RST TH1NG 1 D1D WH3N D1RK 4PPRO4CH3D US W4S S33 1F TH3R3 W3R3 4NY BR4NCH1NG P4THS TH4T H4D "H4PP3N3D" Y3T  
TEREZI: TH3R3 W3R3N'T  
TEREZI: TH3R3S NO 4LPH4 T1M3L1N3 TO WORRY 4BOUT 4NYMOR3, WH1CH M34NS TH4T TH3 ONLY W4Y W3 C4N PR3V3NT 4NY OF *TH1S*  


Terezi waves her hands around in the air for emphasis, the bed shaking slightly.

TEREZI: 1S TO R3LY ON JUN3'S R3TCON   
TEREZI: BUT H3R R3TCON 4B1L1TY 1S L1N34R  
TEREZI: 1F SH3 H4SN'T DON3 1T Y3T, 1T H4SN'T H4PP3N3D. TH3 MOM3NT W3 S3ND H3R B4CK, W3 BL1NK OUT OF R34L1TY  
TEREZI: BUT TH3 M3 1N TH3 P4ST C4N ST1LL P1CK UP ON TH3 M3MOR13S OF TH1S M3, 3V3N THOUGH 1 W1LL T3CHN1C4LLY N3V3R H4V3 3X1ST3D  
TEREZI: 1TS 4LMOST 4 FULL SW33P OF M3MOR13S TH4T ONLY 1 W1LL R3M3MB3R, 3V3N 1F 1TS JUST B1TS 4ND P13C3S  
VRISKA: That's what you've been so antsy a8out?  
TEREZI: Y34H  
VRISKA: How long have you been thinking a8out this?  
TEREZI: 4 F3W W33KS  
VRISKA: You should've told me sooner.  
TEREZI: PROB4BLY  


Vriska fiddles with her jacket buttons, pondering what she's just heard. There's a quiet moment where neither say anything, letting their thoughts sit in the air. Vriska breaks the silence.

VRISKA: What exactly are you afraid of here?  
TEREZI: …   
TEREZI: 1 DON'T W4NT TO LOS3 YOU  
VRISKA: Oh, what! That was it?  


Terezi grabs a pillow and smacks Vriska with it.

TEREZI: SHUT UP, 1'M B31NG S3R1OUS  
VRISKA: You know I'm not going to just fuck off and leave you alone if we're not facing imminent danger, right?  
TEREZI: OBV1OUSLY 1 KNOW TH4T  
TEREZI: 1 KNOW TH4T, BUT 1 C4N'T STOP MYS3LF FROM TH1NK1NG TH4T W3'LL JUST F4LL 4P4RT ONC3 TH3R3 4R3N'T 4NY ST4K3S   
TEREZI: OR TH4T 1'LL FUCK SOM3TH1NG UP W1TH US BY KNOW1NG 4LL TH1S SH1T TH4T N3V3R H4PP3N3D  
VRISKA: I can't give you any guarantees on what I will or won't do if all of this doesn't go down, 8ut do you really think I would just a8andon you after you 8rought me 8ack? I would still 8e out there in the nothingness of paradox space if you hadn't found me.  
VRISKA: No matter what, I'm not going to forget how long you were out there looking for me. Got it?  
TEREZI: …   
VRISKA: Got it??  
TEREZI: Y34H  
TEREZI: 1 G3T 1T  
VRISKA: Alright.  
VRISKA: Do you need me to get you anything, or-  
TEREZI: 1 TH1NK 1 W4NT TO B3 4LON3 FOR 4 WH1L3  
VRISKA: Oh, ok. You sure?  
TEREZI: Y34H  
VRISKA: Alright. If you need me, I'll 8e outside so I can tell how close they are.   
TEREZI: TH4NKS  
VRISKA: Don't worry about it.  


Vriska ruffles Terezi's hair and stands up. She makes her way to the door, but Terezi calls out to her before she can reach it.

TEREZI: ON3 L4ST TH1NG  
VRISKA: What is it?  
TEREZI: DON'T L3T TH3 DOOR H1T YOU ON TH3 W4Y OUT >:)  


Vriska grins, revealing her teeth. She responds without turning around, exiting the room at the same time.

VRISKA: Is that any way to talk to your moirail?  


She shuts the door behind her, leaving Terezi alone in their shared room. The smile slowly falls off of her face, and she moves her hand towards her helmet. She presses the same button as before, ending the recording. She captchalogues it, reminding herself that this is how things should be. She sits up and exhales from her nose, slightly relaxing her anxious body. Less than an hour left.

\-----

You hear the door to Vriska and Terezi's room open. You set aside the now empty box of crackers and wipe the crumbs off of your shirt. As soon as you do, Vriska rounds the corner and makes a beeline for you. Within seconds, she's standing in front of you, hands on her hips.

VRISKA: Come outside with me.  


You stare at Vriska, who's just walked up to you and commanded your attention, distracting you from your thoughts.

JUNE: Sure, but why?  
VRISKA: Cause I don't want you to miss the light show!  
JUNE: The what?  
VRISKA: Oh, just come on!  


She grabs your wrist and pulls you out of your chair, and you make yourself float before you fall over. You're dragged through the air to a door, and Vriska opens it while looking back at you.

VRISKA: Don't make me drag you all the way there.  
JUNE: Yeah, alright.  


She lets go of your wrist and you follow her through the door. Its the same hallway you found yourself in at the beginning of the week. You've been in here a couple times already during your exploration of Dirk's home. Vriska has already opened and left through the front door, and you do the same, closing it on your way out.

The air outside is humid, and there seems to be a layer of static you pass through every time you move forward. All around are nothing but trees and hills, with a glimpse of the ocean in the distance. It's almost the same as the last time you were here, if there weren't clear patches where massive amounts of forestry were uprooted and scattered about by the winds.

The sky is just as clouded over as it was in the Carapacian Kingdom. If anything, the perpetual stormy weather and blue columns of turbulent wind are worse here. There's one particular spout nearby that looks like it's about to touch down, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end when you realize it.

VRISKA: You see that one spout, right? The one that's close to us?  
JUNE: Yeah, I see it. What's the big deal?  
VRISKA: Just keep looking at it. Don't take your eyes away for a second.  
JUNE: Ok.  


You stare right at it, waiting for something to happen. You glance at Vriska, who seems to be doing the same, assuring you that this isn't a prank of some kind. Your gaze falls back to the spout, and just as it does, the entire thing lights up in a blaze of pink electricity.

The sudden brightness makes you flinch, but you continue to stare. Streaks of energy race up and down its entire height, right up to the lowest point of the clouds above, illuminating the area for miles. The bottom of the spout begins to lift up and disperse, the force of wind gradually retreating back into the haze of clouds above. 

The electricity from below continues to strike at it until it's entirely gone, disappearing as soon as the spout fades away. You blink, adjusting your eyes back to the normal level of brightness. Vriska turns to you, a grin on her face.

VRISKA: Pretty cool, right?  
JUNE: Yeah? Are you gonna explain what that was, or am I going to have to figure that out myself?  
VRISKA: That was Dirk! I thought that was kind of o8vious.  
JUNE: How does watching that whole thing make it obvious that Dirk is here?  
VRISKA: Well, do you know anyone else that shoots pink electricity at stuff?  
JUNE: Well, no, but I didn't know he could ever do that! How am I supposed to keep track of what everyone's powers are?  
VRISKA: Please, June. This information isn't that hard to figure out! You just have to put two and two together sometimes.  
JUNE: Ok, fine. Can I use the excuse that I'm dying and my brain isn't working right?  
VRISKA: Hahaha, yeah, I'll give you that one.   
VRISKA: Oh, hey, there they are!  


Vriska turns your attention to the two human sized shapes rapidly approaching, both of which you recognize. Your eyes widen at the sudden excitement at seeing Jake English rushing towards you, moustache flowing in the wind. There's a slight apprehension at Dirk arriving as well, but you squash that down as soon as it pops up. You need something good right now.

Jake sets down a few feet away from you, greeting you as he gives you a strong embrace.

JAKE: June, it's so good to see you! I knew I had a good feeling about today! We've had a rotten bout of luck up until now, but I'm positive now is the time to turn things around!   


He let's go of the hug, still gripping you by the shoulders. You can't help but smile back at him; the guy's toothy grin is just too infectious. Dirk lands behind him, saying nothing. Looks like he's giving you a chance to respond.

JUNE: Its good to see you too, Jake. I didn't know if I was going to see you here or not. Where's everyone else? I've been wondering what's going on since I woke up here.  


Jake's smile fades for a second, but quickly comes back up again. He pats you on the shoulder before removing his hands and moving past you, talking while he heads inside.

JAKE: What do you say about discussing all that after we come in, hm?  
JUNE: Oh, right. It does kinda suck out here.  


You begin to follow Jake inside and glance at Dirk, who gives you a slight nod before coming in behind you. You see Vriska roll her eyes before turning your head to your front. The four of you shuffle in through the hallway, and before you know it, you've gathered in the closest thing Dirk has to a living room. 

Vriska yells in the direction of her shared room with Terezi that everyone is here, her voice surprisingly piercing your ears. While Dirk and Jake begin to settle, you take note of their attire. It looks like Dirk has his usual simple outfit on, the shirt with a hat design and a pair of… black jeans? Huh.

Somehow you didn't notice until now, but Jake's getup is oddly reminiscent of the costumes he wore in the movies he starred in. He's got a set of pistol holsters strapped to each leg over a fairly short pair of cargo shorts. You're not too sure, but if you squint, it almost looks like…

JUNE: Lara Croft?  


The thought slips out of your mouth, and Jake whips around to you, his smile completely reignited.

JAKE: I didn't think anyone would notice! What do you think, June? Have I captured the essence of the daredevil adventurer known as the Tomb Raider? Or mayhaps, have I overdone it?   
JUNE: I think it looks cool!  
VRISKA: I should've known you didn't just throw together that getup out of nowhere.  
JAKE: Many thanks!   
JUNE: Y'know, you two kinda seem more friendly to each other since the last time I saw you talk.  
VRISKA: Oh, definitely! I really didn't think much of Jake 8efore this whole mess started, but honestly, I was totally wrong a8out him. This dude can 8e a real 8adass when he has to 8e.  
JAKE: Indeed! The camaraderie between the four of us has skyrocketed since we all joined forces, and all that nonsense before is water under the bridge!  


Before you can respond, Dirk turns to face you and Vriska and speaks up.

DIRK: Can we get Terezi in here so we can start this properly?  
VRISKA: Yeah, I'll go get her.  


Vriska strides back to her and Terezi's room, and as she disappears from view, you turn back towards Dirk. Now that he's facing you and you can actually get a good look at his face, it doesn't look like he's doing so great. His body looks the same as ever, but it's obvious he's under some kind of strain. His movements are slow, and his hand is…

How the hell did you not see this before? The entire forearm of Dirk's left arm is robotic, terminating right before his elbow. There's a few streaks of red lighting that makes his digits glow slightly, but aside from that, the design is pretty simple. Dirk definitely sees you staring, but he doesn't say anything in protest. 

JUNE: Cool arm.  
DIRK: Thanks, I made it myself.  


You let out a snort. That shouldn't have been funny to you, but it was. You're still a little wary of Dirk, but maybe you don't need to be on guard of him or anything. Jake coughs, bringing your attention to him.

JAKE: You know, it might be prudent to sit while the gals are temporarily away. The good chairs are currently unoccupied!  


Dirk takes his advice, and the two sit down on two of the more comfortable looking chairs. You take the one you had been sitting in before, leaving only one plastic chair empty. It occurs to you that one of the two trolls will have to stand, but you're too tired to care, both mentally and physically. You remember what Vriska said about Dirk's lightning powers, and you ask him about it while you have the chance.

JUNE: Hey Dirk?  
DIRK: Yes?  
JUNE: You were the one who did that whole pink electric thing outside, right?  
DIRK: Yeah.  
JUNE: Is that what your powers do? Like, shoot lightning and make stuff smaller?  
DIRK: I don't know where you got that idea, but no. You're an heir of breath, right June?  
JUNE: Yep.  
DIRK: Well, I'm a prince of heart. Without getting into any of the irrelevant details, this grants me the power to destroy or otherwise remove souls.  
JUNE: Wow. That sounds pretty cool, but it doesn't really make sense how you made that whole pillar of wind disappear. How does that work?  
DIRK: Think about it. If I can destroy souls, and I destroyed the whirlwind outside, what does that tell you?  
JUNE: Uhm, I think that means-  
TEREZI: D1D YOU LOS3RS R34LLY ST4RT W1THOUT US  


You didn't even notice, but Terezi and Vriska have arrived. Vriska sits down on the only empty chair and crosses her legs and arms. Terezi wastes no time in sitting cross legged directly on the table in the middle of all the chairs. Dirk responds to Terezi as she gets comfortable, or as close to comfortable as she can get.

DIRK: I was responding to June's inquiry about how I was able to make the wind spout outside 'disappear'. I believe she's already halfway to understanding. You were saying, June?  
JUNE: Yeah, are the spouts made of souls?  
DIRK: That's a gross oversimplification, but you've got the gist of it. I assume one of you two has already informed June that the reason everything is cloudy and shitty virtually everywhere is because of her?  
VRISKA: Well yeah, 8ut we weren't dicks a8out it.   
VRISKA: Or should I say, Dirks a8out it?  
TEREZI: GOT H1M  
DIRK: You two have used that terrible pun at least thirty times this month.  
TEREZI: TH4TS B3C4US4 1TS 4LW4YS FUNNY  
VRISKA: And half of the reason it's always funny is cause of how clearly it ticks you off. You keep making it funny!   
JAKE: It is pretty humorous, Dirk.  
DIRK: Look, are we here to make jokes at my expense, or are we here to tell June what she needs to know to make things better?  
TEREZI: BOTH  
VRISKA: I could go for either, really.  
DIRK: … So, June.  
JUNE: Oh, yeah?  
DIRK: The clouds are made of souls.  
JUNE: Right, right. Tell me how that works?  
DIRK: First, do you remember our last talk?   
JUNE: Yeah, that only happened a few days ago for me.  
DIRK: You told me that day that you were hearing a voice in your head. Have you heard that voice since then?  
JUNE: … No, I haven't. How did you know?  


Dirk sighs and leans back in his chair.

DIRK: Guess I was right.   
JUNE: Right about what?  
DIRK: The big angry shitstorm covering the planet is the physical manifestation of your ascended consciousness.  
JUNE: Uh.  
JUNE: What?  
DIRK: Can someone fill in the gaps?  
TEREZI: 1 GU3SS 1 C4N P1CK UP YOUR SL4CK  
TEREZI: SO JUN3 YOU KNOW HOW TH3R3S 4LT3RN4T3 V3RS1ONS OF OURS3LV3S  
JUNE: Like from other timelines and stuff?  
TEREZI: 3X4CTLY  
TEREZI: THE M3MOR13S, F33L1NGS, 4ND 4W4R3N3SS OF 3V3RY S1NGL3 ON3 OF YOUR 4LT3RN4T3 S3LV3S W4S COMB1N1NG 1NTO ON3   
TEREZI: D1RK H4S D3DUC3D TH4T YOUR S1CKN3SS W4S TH3 CONS3QU3NC3 OF YOUR BODY PR3P4R1NG TO 1NT3GR4T3 TH1S COLL3CT1V3 CONSC1OUSN3SS 1NTO YOU  
DIRK: Unfortunately, you expelled that collective You from your body before the process could finalize, and the strain from that is draining your health rapidly.  
JUNE: Wait, wait. Expelled? When did I ever do that?   
DIRK: At the peak of your meltdown, you shouted a massive cone of wind out of your mouth and put a hole in my roof doing it. You pushed out your ascended self by force, and with no other vessel to hold it, it merged with the air in the atmosphere, leaving us with this mess.  
DIRK: Did you not even realize you had done so?  
JUNE: Um. No?  
TEREZI: H4H4H4H4H4   
TEREZI: FUCK1NG CL4SS1C  
JUNE: Look, I had a lot of other stuff going on, alright? I was pretty upset!  
DIRK: I know, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is preventing this reality from ever happening.  
VRISKA: And to do that, you need a plan!  


Vriska speaks up, drawing the attention of the room to her.

VRISKA: Dirk came up with a plan on his own, 8ut it sucked shame glo8es, so we're not doing it.  
DIRK: My plan is still the simplest and most likely to guarantee everyone's safety. June goes back to before she expels her ascended self and sends her past self to some far flung corner of reality where they can't hurt anybody. You take her place, and continue on like nothing happened.  
JUNE: Why don't we just do that, then?  
TEREZI: C4US3 D1RK 1S 4 L14R  
VRISKA: A total liar! There's one person who his plan won't save, June. His plan requires a sacrifice.  
JUNE: Well, that doesn't sound good. Who would that person be?  
TEREZI: YOU  
JUNE: What? I thought…  
VRISKA: June, what do you think is going to happen if you don't take your consciousness 8ack into your 8ody?  
JUNE: Nothing?  
TEREZI: WRONG   
VRISKA: Totally wrong! If you just act like nothing is the matter, you're screwed. You'll 8e dead in a matter of days!  
JUNE: Woah, really?  
TEREZI: MOST L1K3LY  
VRISKA: Remem8er how I said you've 8een in a coma?  
JUNE: Yeah?  
VRISKA: That doesn't happen to people with no medical pro8lems, June! You had some serious issues given what we heard from those who were allowed to see you.  
JUNE: See me? Why wouldn't you guys be able to come visit me if I was just in a hospital or something?  


The atmosphere in the room turns sour. Vriska turns away, a scowl forming on her face, and she doesn't respond. Neither Dirk nor Terezi pick things up, and there's a few moments of silence. The question you asked lingers in the air, and Jake, who's mostly kept quiet, finally answers you.

JAKE: June, I need you to listen to what we're going to say with the understanding that this is all reversible, and we had very few options.  
JUNE: O...kay?  
JUNE: So, why couldn't any of you visit me?  
DIRK: Because Jade barricaded everyone who wasn't Dave or Rose from even getting close.  
JUNE: What? Why?  
DIRK: You showed up and nearly bled to death from a head injury in her lab for half a day before she found you. The only reason you didn't die after that was because she brought home some top of the line doctors and medical experts who tended to you. You were on the verge of death for a week.  
DIRK: Rose and Jane were completely blowing up my phone before Jade found you, like I would have any idea where you were.   
JUNE: Oh right, I never got to go back and prevent you from telling them everything. That's part of the plan, right?  
DIRK: I didn't tell them anything.  
JUNE: What? But Jane said you were talking with Rose about my sickness!  
DIRK: Yes, because they pressed me about it. The only thing I ever mentioned was your health, nothing about the future you visited.   
JUNE: Seriously?  
DIRK: Seriously.  
JUNE: …   


You lean back in your chair. If he's telling the truth, that means you freaked out at your well deserved intervention for no good reason, and everything that happened afterwards was your fault. They only had your best interests at heart. They only wanted to help you. 

JUNE: I am so stupid.  
TEREZI: M4YB3  
JUNE: There is no maybe, Terezi. I'm an idiot, and that is a fact.  
VRISKA: Oh, come on. If the worst thing that happens from you doing something stupid is panicking and teleporting away from everyone, I'd say it's not so 8ad!  
JUNE: Ughh. I guess.  
JUNE: What happened after that?  
DIRK: A couple days after, the first whirlwind caused by your expelled consciousness touched down, and soon after that, they started to pop up all over the place.  
DIRK: Jade must have let Dave and Rose in on the situation with the future, since the three of them made a memo with everyone in it. They used this memo to convey whatever information you must have told her. Jade told us that the only way to save you would be to put you under until her and the medical staff she recruited could figure out a solution to cure you, or at least stabilize you.  
DIRK: I told them that by the time they accomplished their goal, the world would be consumed by your raging breath storm. I said that the only solution would be to wake you and have you take back in the consciousness you had forced out.   
DIRK: The only people that believed me are in this room.  
JUNE: Jake, Terezi, and Vriska? That's it?  
DIRK: That's it.  
DIRK: To be fair to them, they thought it would kill you if they took you out of whatever time stasis they put you in.  
JUNE: Would it have?   
DIRK: Possibly.  
JUNE: Wow. You make a great case for your side, Dirk.  
DIRK: The sarcasm is appreciated.  
JUNE: So, what happened after that?  
VRISKA: The four of us teamed up and tried to steal you!  
JUNE: Woah, seriously?  
TEREZI: 1T D1DN'T WORK  
JUNE: Well, yeah, obviously.  
JAKE: Ah, we gave it a go though, didn't we? That would've been the heist of a century!  
JUNE: Heh. I'm picturing the four of you in spy gear infiltrating Jade's lab, going over tripwires and avoiding guards and stuff.  
VRISKA: Oh, it was a lot louder than that!   
JAKE: It did feel a bit like the action flicks I've starred in in the past, what with all the explosions and flying projectiles!  
JUNE: That sounds kinda scary, but also fun!  
DIRK: It was a bit more serious than what you're envisioning.  
DIRK: Does anybody mind if I bring it up now?  


Terezi and Vriska let out a sound of indignant affirmation, and Dirk speaks up again. 

DIRK: There was a casualty in the clash.  
JUNE: Casualty? You mean, someone died?  
DIRK: Yeah.  
JUNE: I…   
JUNE: Who,   
JUNE: Who was it?  
DIRK: Jane. It was heroic.  


You can't find it in you to respond. You feel a deep, harsh sadness rise up inside of you. No tears fall from your eyes, but your voice won't come out anymore. Jake reaches over and grips your shoulder, shaking you out of your stupor. 

JAKE: June my good pal, are you alright?  
JUNE: I, uh  
JUNE: Yeah, yeah.   
JUNE: Yeah, I'm ok.  
JUNE: Keep going.  
DIRK: Right. After that, relations between our two groups worsened instantly. We switched tactics from trying to steal you away, since we assumed they moved you to somewhere we wouldn't be able to find you.  
JUNE: Yeah, I woke up in this weird underground room with no doors. The only way I could get out was through a transportalizer.  
DIRK: Figured. Our new strategy was now to reset the timeline and prevent any deaths, meaning we had to make you wake up. The way we did this was to isolate the members of the other side and steal their souls away one by one. It took a year and a half, but it worked.  
JUNE: Woah, what the fuck? You did what to their souls?  
DIRK: Stole them, right out of their bodies. I'm carrying each of them inside me in case we failed to find you and remained stuck in this timeline. I've already drawn up the schematics for all of their potential robotic bodies.  
JUNE: Well. Shit.  
TEREZI: W3LL SH1T 1S R1GHT  
VRISKA: It was a 8itch and a half to distract the rest of your ra8id friends while Dirk focused on one of them at a time. The last two of your pals we locked down were Dave and Jade. Without them around, the spell they put on you couldn't last forever.  
JUNE: Yeah, they're all pretty strong. How did you manage?  
TEREZI: LOTS OF C4R3FUL PL4NN1NG 4ND PR3P4R4T1ON, MOST OF WH1CH W4S TH4NKS TO YOURS TRULY  
VRISKA: I did a lot of the legwork and hand to hand com8at. Turns out I'm a gr8 distraction when I need to 8e!  
VRISKA: I wouldn't have 8een a8le to do half of any of that if Jake wasn't 8uffing me, though. It hurts to admit it, 8ut his hope powers are actually insanely overpowered.  


Jake twiddles his moustache, looking proud of himself. 

JAKE: I was just helping you all do what I knew was right. As much as I didn't wish to fight any of our compatriots, I placed my full faith in Dirk, and by gum, did he deliver.  
JAKE: Here you are, June, right in front of us. All is not lost!  


Dirk and Vriska turn to you, the both of them appearing antsy all of a sudden. 

DIRK: He's right. The fact you're here means you can still prevent all of this from happening.  
VRISKA: Are you ready for the plan of a lifetime, June?  


\----- 

You scratch the back of your head, trying to wrap your brain around the plan you've heard two full times now. 

JUNE: Do I have to recite everything?  
TEREZI: 3V3RY S1NGL3 B1T OF 1T  
TEREZI: W3 D1DN'T COM3 TH1S F4R FOR YOU TO F41L R1GHT 4T TH3 3ND  
JUNE: Alright, fine.  


You piece your thoughts together, following the plan through in your head. Your four friends wait patiently. 

JUNE: First, I go back to Rose and Kanaya's place. I teleport the two of them as well as Jane over to Jade's lab where I'm bleeding out. Jane heals my injury, Rose and Kanaya tend to me, and then I zap away to Dirk next.  
JUNE: I give Dirk this usb drive you gave me, and tell him to look on it. Zap to Dave and Karkat's house, where you and Vriska will be. I give this dragon helmet thing to Terezi and tell her to listen to the stuff on there.  
JUNE: Then, I zap away again to whenever Jade gets back to her lab and tell her, Rose, Jane, and Kanaya what's going on with past me.   
JUNE: I tell them the coordinates of where the first whirlwind touches down and that I need to be there to take back in the breeze-  
TEREZI: WH1CH 1S WH3R3  
JUNE: My house.  
TEREZI: CORR3CT. CONT1NU3  
JUNE: Then I make my… choice?  
JUNE: I still don't know what that means.  
TEREZI: 1T M34NS YOU W1LL M4K3 4 D3C1S1ON TH4T W1LL CULM1N4T3 W1TH TH1S V3RS1ON OF YOU DY1NG  
TEREZI: YOU H4V3 TH3 OPT1ON TO COMPL3T3LY 1GNOR3 TH1S PL4N 4ND T4K3 M4TT3RS 1NTO YOUR OWN H4NDS, BUT 1 KNOW YOU WON'T   
TEREZI: R3M3MB3R TH1S PL4N W1LL GU4R4NT33 TH3 L1V3S 4ND FUTUR3 OF 3V3RYON3, 1NCLUD1NG YOU  
JUNE: Just not this me, I know.  


You exhale, still trying to mentally prepare yourself for what is to come. You're still coming to terms with your own death, even if that death means completing your objective. You'll just have to accept it. 

You shake your head, clearing your thoughts of distractions. A mission has been placed on your lap, and you're going to do everything you can to follow it through. 

JUNE: Before I get going, is there anything I'm forgetting? I've got the dragon helmet and the usb drive, is there anything else I need?  
TEREZI: DO YOU H4V3 4 P4LMHUSK  
JUNE: That means phone, right? I don-  
TEREZI: 4CTU4LLY 1T DO3SN'T M4TT3R, YOU DON'T N33D ON3  
JUNE: What, I do need a phone! I need at least one thing I can use to call people.  
VRISKA: Please don't tell me we need to go over the plan again!!!!!!!!  
VRISKA: You're going to zap around with your retcon crap, talk to people in person, and give presents. Then you make a choice and die! When do you need a phone during any of that?  
JUNE: Well, I guess I don't.  
VRISKA: Exactly.  
JUNE: Well, I guess if that's it. Um, does anyone want to say anything before I go?  
DIRK: What is there to say?  
JAKE: I actually do have something!  
JUNE: Oh, cool. What is it?  


Jake stands up, clears his throat, and puffs out his chest. His fist falls on your shoulder, and he looks you dead in the eye. 

JAKE: I believe in you.  


There's a shine in his eyes, and a feeling of confidence and strength flows through you. It cascades over you, lifting you off the ground and erasing the weakness in your body. When your feet reconnect with the floor, you feel as light as a feather, but sturdy at the same time. You look down at yourself and notice a subtle white glow enveloping you. 

JUNE: Jake, what did you…?  
JAKE: Think of this as a little parting gift, to make your coming mission easier!   
VRISKA: Ooh, a hope 8oost! You've got a pretty good 8uff June, don't waste it!  
JUNE: Sure. Thanks, Jake.  
JAKE: Think nothing of it! I have full confidence in you. Now, go save us!  


He takes a couple steps back, and you gaze at the four people who've helped you. Jake has a bright smile on his face, and Dirk has his arms crossed. He gives you a nod, which strikes you as pretty cool. Vriska and Terezi are standing next to each other, both with wistful smiles. You can tell they were just as happy to see you as you were to see them. 

You wave at them and show off the best smile you can muster. 

JUNE: Guess I'm off.  


You think back to your first objective, the intervention. You pour all of your focus onto it, summoning your newfound willpower. A blue crackling haze surrounds you, and the world fades away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, Vriska has exactly 88 lines of dialogue in this chapter. Completely unintentional.


	9. Day 5

Your vision clears, and the world comes into view. You're standing in the very same room you just left, with none of the walls defaced and none of the friends. The furniture is all mostly the same, save for a few missing chairs and a tv that wasn't here before. Ok, you're already kind of off track, but it technically doesn't matter what order you do things in, so you may as well deliver the drive to Dirk while you're here.

You spy a hole in the ceiling that's been boarded up as you walk towards the hallway door. You should apologize for that when you see him. You open the door, take a few steps towards the elevator, and press the call button. The rumbling of the elevator moving down reaches your ears. It sounds a lot quieter than it did in the future. Within ten seconds, it arrives, and you step inside. 

You press the button for the fifth floor, and the elevator door closes, leaving you with a little time to think. As you're being lifted up, you consider that future Dirk mentioned his phone got blasted by Jane and Rose until you were found. Man, you've caused a lot of trouble for this guy. Guess that's another person you've got to pay back at some point.

The elevator stops, and there's a little chime indicating you've arrived. The door opens, and before you can step out, you're greeted by Dirk Strider standing just outside, his arms crossed. There must be a camera in the elevator or something.

DIRK: Hello, June. It's awfully late for you to make a visit.  
JUNE: Hi Dirk. Sorry about all the trouble.  
DIRK: Its fine. As long as you're here, you may as well do what you came here to do.  


He moves aside, giving you room to exit. You step outside of the elevator and take a quick look at the room. It's mostly the same as you saw it when you were in the future, save for the holes in the floor and ceiling. It's significantly smaller than all of his other floors, given that it's just a bedroom and a bathroom. There's a bed, a huge closet, a desk with a triple monitor computer setup, and some audio equipment.

Dirk walks over to his desk and sits down on his computer chair. He turns to face you and makes a hand motion.

DIRK: That being said, what are you here for?  
JUNE: Oh, well, first I need to give you this.  


You uncaptchalogue the usb drive that future Dirk gave you and offer it to him. He takes it, examines it for a moment, then looks back at you.

DIRK: Mind telling me what's on this?  
JUNE: Oh, I’m not too sure, actually. Your future self just said I should give that to you and tell you to look at the stuff on there, so you would understand what's going on.  
DIRK: My future self.  
JUNE: Yeah, I forgot to mention that. I'm from the future, actually.  
DIRK: Ok.  
JUNE: Ok?  
DIRK: I believe you, June. You don't look much older than when I last saw you, but if you're asking me to trust you with this, then I'll go with it.  
JUNE: Um, ok I guess.   
JUNE: I didn't actually look on there, but I got the impression that there were like, videos and documents and stuff that you made, so I'm pretty sure you'd be able to tell that I'm not just punking you.  
JUNE: Though, it could be your future self punking you, haha.  
DIRK: I'll take a look through it after you leave.  
JUNE: Sure.   
JUNE: Oh, by the way, what time is it? I lost my phone, so I can't check.  


Dirk pulls out his phone from his pocket and checks his lock screen. Just as soon as he does, it's back in his pocket, and his attention is back to you.

DIRK: Its 12:36am.  
JUNE: Well, crap. That's way later than I thought it was.  
DIRK: You know, there's a few people who have been trying to get a hold of you.  
JUNE: Yeah, I know. Rose and Jane, right?   
DIRK: Kanaya too. They can't sleep without knowing where you are, so neither can I. Not like I would be asleep anyways, but still.  
JUNE: Yeah. I should probably get going and tell them what's going on now.  
DIRK: Not a bad idea. Before you go, there's something I want to ask you.  
JUNE: Oh, sure. What is it?  


He makes a small circular movement with his hand, gesturing to you.

DIRK: Why are you glowing?  


You glance down, suddenly being aware once again of the hope buff that Jake bestowed upon you.

JUNE: Oh, Jake from the future gave me this boost thing with his hope powers.   
DIRK: Didn't know he could do that.  
JUNE: Well, neither did I, until he did it.   
DIRK: I would ask for details, but I suppose it would be easier to just seek them out on the drive you gave me.  
JUNE: Probably, haha. I was only in the future for like, half a day.  
DIRK: Right.  
JUNE: Yep.   
JUNE: Well, I think I should probably get going. Got lots of stuff to do.  
DIRK: Wait, there's something else.   
JUNE: Oh, alright?  


Dirk turns his head to the side, wipes his face with his hand, and sighs. There’s a short moment where Dirk says nothing before speaking again.

DIRK: So.  
DIRK: I shouldn't have gotten into your shit the way I did.  
JUNE: Um.  
DIRK: Yeah, I know what this sounds like, but hear me out.  
JUNE: Ok?  
DIRK: It was pretty fucking uncool of me to ask you all those personal questions like you had given me an invitation to rummage around your brain like a box of toys. I was caught up in my own shit and didn't account for how badly you might react given all the pressure I was putting on you.  
DIRK: I understand not wanting to talk to me after all of that, I don't blame you, but I at least wanted to apologize before you left again.  
JUNE: Woah, hey, I mean, I'm not really that mad at you.  
JUNE: Like, I thought you lied and told Rose and everyone else all the stuff I asked you not to, but it turns out you didn't, so it's fine.  
JUNE: Like, I appreciate it, but I did talk to future you like, ten minutes ago, and I think we were on pretty good terms when I left.  
DIRK: So we're cool.  
JUNE: Yeah, we're cool.  
DIRK: Ok.  
DIRK: Good.  


Dirk relaxes his shoulder slightly, and your gaze unfocuses slightly. You're glad you patched things up with him, but man, things can get awkward when you don't know what to say.

JUNE: So, um, I'm gonna go now.  
DIRK: Sure. See you later.  
JUNE: Bye, Dirk.  


You've already kind of messed up the order of things, so you focus on delivering the dragon helm next. It doesn't take much effort to visualize the Strider-Vantas household with the Vriska and Terezi combo terrorizing the owners of said household. A white sheen wraps around your vision, and you feel the familiar tug of reality unbend around you, placing you at your destination.

Your sight returns to normal, and you find yourself right in the middle of their living room, the lights turned off. Your vision adjusts to the low light, and the same furniture and tv they've always had greets you as you make your sudden entrance. You remember how you've spent a lot of time here in the past few months, and it occurs to you that despite Karkat's yelling, its pretty much never been as loud as it is right now.

Dave, Karkat, Vriska, and Terezi are all watching a movie on the tv. The only person not yelling and sitting on the couch is Terezi, who is sitting on the floor and yelling. Vriska and Terezi look like they're having the time of their lives, while Karkat is plainly furious and Dave looks like he would rather be anywhere else. It takes at least ten seconds before someone realizes you're there.

TEREZI: WH4T TH3 FUCK 1S 3GB3RT DO1NG H3R3  


It takes another ten seconds for Terezi to get the attention of the other three, who stop screaming just long enough to notice you standing like five feet away.

DAVE: Woah when did you drop in here June   
DAVE: Like it's cool you're here and all but it might be good to not add another element onto this already volatile and downright incendiary mixture of personalities we've got here  
VRISKA: Hey Eg8ert! June is what you're going 8y now?   
JUNE: Yep! How's it going?  
VRISKA: Pretty gr8!   
KARKAT: I UNDERSTAND THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME SEEING THESE TWO IN OVER A SWEEP BUT CAN YOU PLEASE GET THEM OUT OF OUR FUCKING HIVE  
KARKAT: I HAVE ALREADY HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH SCOURGE SISTERS IN MY LIFE AND FRANKLY THE MEAGER AMOUNT I'VE RECEIVED WAS JUST BARELY ENOUGH TO NOT KILL ME   
KARKAT: ANY TIME SPENT EVEN BEING NEAR THEM IS TIME MY LIFE IS AT RISK AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT I'VE BECOME A FAN OF NOT DYING RECENTLY  
KARKAT: YOU WOULD BE DOING US A MAJOR FUCKING SOLID BY ZAPPING THESE TWO THE FUCK OUT OF HERE OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO  
TEREZI: YOUR S3NS3 OF HOSP1T4L1TY 1S T3RR1BL3  
VRISKA: Yeah, you should at least give us a gift or something 8efore you kick us out!  
DAVE: You have been here for exactly five hours, I think you have overstayed your welcome by like ten times as much as you possibly could have  
DAVE: Like you may as well have just eaten all of the food in our fridge and asked us to go get more like we owed you a war debt or some shit  
KARKAT: DAVE THEY LITERALLY DID EXACTLY THAT  
DAVE: Yeah and I'm still not over it  
JUNE: Hahaha, ok guys this is all pretty funny, but I did actually come here for a reason.  
JUNE: I need to give Terezi this helmet, for some reason.  


You uncaptchalogue future Terezi's dragon helmet computer thing and hand it to her. She takes a massive lick off the top of it and giggles.

TEREZI: JUN3 1'M FL4TT3R3D BUT S4DLY 1'M NOT LOOK1NG FOR 4 M4T3SPR1T 4S SUCKY 4ND W33N13-L1K3 4S YOU  
TEREZI: THOUGH 1 4M ST1LL T4K1NG TH1S  
JUNE: What? Ew, no, gross.  
JUNE: And I didn't actually make this. Future you asked me to give you that.  
TEREZI: FUTUR3 M3  
DAVE: This already sounds like some bullshit  
TEREZI: WHY W3R3 YOU T4LK1NG W1TH M3 1N TH3 FUTUR3  
JUNE: Well, it wasn't really future you to me, it was just kind of normal Terezi, since I'm also from the future. I talked to you and Vriska like fifteen minutes ago, haha.  
JUNE: Oh, before I forget, future you said to not "remember anything", whatever that means.   
DAVE: Is this some kind of time loop garbage cause if it is I am going to be so disappointed   
JUNE: No, this is just normal retcon stuff.   
DAVE: Oh great just normal retcon stuff why would I be worried about that  
DAVE: As we all know you have a damn near perfect hold on your powers to the point where I don't even need to think about you irreversibly fucking up the timeline  
DAVE: Like damn I may as well hang up my cape as the time guy cause June has clearly got all my shit covered from top to bottom  
DAVE: What is it with you and Jade constantly trying to jack my whole thing like don't you two already have your whole space and breath whatevers going on  
KARKAT: THE LAST TIME JADE EVER TRIED TO STEAL YOUR TIME SHIT WAS NEVER, BECAUSE WHEN I TOLD YOU THAT MONTHS AGO I WAS JOKING. WERE YOU TAKING ME SERIOUSLY THAT WHOLE TIME  
DAVE: Yeah I'm gonna have to get a lawyer before I answer that  
DAVE: And no before any of you say anything I don't mean the freakish alien kind who's never actually been to law school I mean an actual honest to god lawyer who won't sabotage me the very first chance they get  


Vriska chimes in and interrupts the flow they had going, while Terezi is still messing with her new but technically old helmet. As much as you'd like to stick around, you're on a time limit. Your work here is done, so you take the opportunity to zap out of there and continue your mission. It only takes a moment to straighten out your thoughts to the intervention once again, and before you know it, you're gone.

\-----

You're sitting on a patch of grass near the Maryam-Lalonde's house, just close enough to see if anyone leaves, but not so close that they could see you from inside. The cold air whistles around you, but it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. Possibly a side effect from Jake's buff.

You twiddle your thumbs, absentmindedly looking at the night sky, the moon almost directly overhead. It's been ten minutes since you got here. You're stalling and you know it. This should've been the first thing on your to-do list, but you've put it off until the very end. You can't help but feel apprehensive at seeing Kanaya and Rose again. They were only trying to help you because they care about you, and you totally blew up at them. What are you even going to say?

If Dirk's house is anything to go by, you probably completely ruined their living room during your meltdown. You really messed things up back there. How are they going to react to you just kind of showing up at their front door like nothing's wrong? They'll probably be mad at you. It's not like you won't deserve it, but it still sucks to think about.

God, are you really spending part of the last day of your life worrying about all of this crap? Who even cares at this point? It's not like you'll be alive to deal with any of the consequences of your actions. You should really just get this over with. You'll make a choice or whatever so you can keel over and die for some reason. Are you even relevant at this point? You're not doing any of this for you, just like usual. 

Looks like you're finally getting what you wanted! You finally have an important thing to do, and you won't have enough time to worry about not having one afterwards, since you'll be too busy being dead. Go June! You throw up your hands in the air in fake celebration. Somehow, you're only realizing how much this whole thing sucks right now.

Before you have the opportunity to yell at nothing in your head some more, you pick up some movement and a light at the front door of their house. You squint your eyes, and see Kanaya lit up like a Christmas tree. She closes the door behind her, and the second she does, she bolts, dashing away at a crazy fast speed. Its almost difficult to track her movements with how fast she is. 

This isn't good, you still need to talk to her. You can't just let her run off like this. Without any other options you can think of, you stand up and fly after her. It doesn't take long for you to catch up, especially since she stops shortly after you start flying towards her. Sure enough, she turns to face you as you touch down next to her, despite knowing that you couldn't have made any noise to alert her. 

The expression on her face is a combination of exasperation, disbelief, and worry. It makes you feel like shit seeing her all worked up like this because of you, but you push through that feeling and initiate conversation.

JUNE: Hey Kanaya.   
KANAYA: June  
KANAYA: Is That You  
JUNE: Yep, it's me. Sorry for making you worry.   
KANAYA: Nevermind That   
KANAYA: Are You Alright  
KANAYA: You Were Significantly Distressed The Last Time I Saw You And The Only Mention Of You We Had Found Was One Brief Mention Of Your Appearance In The Troll Kingdom  
KANAYA: Where Have You Been  
JUNE: I think I'm ok right now, probably.  
JUNE: And, it's kind of a long story.  
KANAYA: Is It Now  
KANAYA: I Also Have A Long Story About My Wife And I  
KANAYA: It Involves One Of Our Longtime Friends And Recent Romantic Companion Leaving In The Middle Of A Very Justified Intervention And Worrying Us Half To Death For Hours On End  
KANAYA: Would You Like To Tell Your Story First Or Shall I  


Well, crap. You're in for it now.

JUNE: You, uh. You can go first.  
KANAYA: Fantastic  
KANAYA: After You Unleashed A Glass Shattering Scream And Destroyed Half Of Our Respite Block We Attempted To Find Any Clue That Would Uncover Your Location So We Could Find You And Help You Recover Despite Your Attempts To Dissuade Us From Doing So  
KANAYA: As You May Or May Not Have Inferred It Was Quite Unnerving To Watch You Slowly And Possibly Painfully Virtually Melt In Front Of Us  
KANAYA: Hence My Earlier Question About Whether Or Not You Were Alright  
KANAYA: Now That I've Seen Your Current State I Am Going To Have You Promise Me Something And I Am Not Willing To Take No For An Answer  
KANAYA: You Are Going To Immediately Come Back To Our Hive And We Are Going To Talk About Your Problems Like Functioning Adults   
KANAYA: There Will Be No Excuses And No Leaving Until We Settle This Matter and Confirm Your Absolute Safety And Stability For All Of Our Sakes  
KANAYA: How Does That Sound June  
JUNE: Yeah, that sounds fine.  
KANAYA: Good   
KANAYA: Now  


She steps towards you and pulls you into a sudden hug. Leaning down slightly, her head rests on your shoulder, and the tips of her fingers dig into your back, but not painfully. Her voice quivers slightly at the few words she speaks next.

KANAYA: Don't Make Us Worry About You Like That Ever Again  


It takes a second to process what she's said, and a wave of guilt washes over you. You return her embrace, glad you're not forced to look her in the eye at the moment. Kanaya sucks in a breath, slowly exhales, and lets you go. She slips her hand into the grasp of one of yours, and begins to pull you through the air back towards their home.

KANAYA: Now Let's Not Keep Rose Waiting Any Longer Than She Has Been  
KANAYA: I'm Sure The Both Of Us Will Want To Hear About What You've Been Up To  


You can't seem to form a response to that, and you simply let yourself be strung along by Kanaya, the feel of her hand as cold as you remember it being. It doesn't feel quite as soothing this time around, though.

It barely takes ten seconds until you arrive back at their residence. Kanaya wastes no time in swinging open the front door and taking you inside, your feet now on the floor. What greets you is the sight of a decimated living room, the furniture and tv destroyed and flung about. The glass from the windows have all been shattered, and their shards are scattered throughout the place. Rose is standing in the middle of it and talking on her phone, though she immediately finishes and hangs up once she sees the two of you come in.

KANAYA: I Found Her  
ROSE: …   
ROSE: So you have.  
ROSE: I'll admit, I didn't think you would be back so soon. Hello June, good to see you again. I have a mountain of questions, but first, would you mind shedding some light on the five hours you've been missing? It's been awfully exciting trying to get a grasp on your location given you could be literally anywhere on the world, but I'd wager that all this excitement is bad for my health.  


The three of you come closer and gather in the center of the decimated living room. There's not really anywhere to sit so you just kind of stand next to them and start talking.

JUNE: Yeah, so, first off, it's nice to see you again Rose. Sorry for freaking out like that and totally ruining your living room.  
JUNE: Second, I don't want to alarm you, but I can't really say this in a way that sounds good, so I'll just say it. I'm from the future and I'm here to save myself from dying, and I need your help to do that.  


The two of them stare at you for a moment before Rose finally responds.

ROSE: I'll ignore that you look barely a few days older than the last time we saw you so we can focus on what's immediately pressing. Where is the other you right now?  
JUNE: I'm unconscious and bleeding out from a head injury at Jade's lab.   
ROSE: I see. That would render one incapable of receiving calls, I suppose.  
JUNE: Oh yeah, I also lost my phone when I was kind of freaking out, so I wouldn't have been able to call you anyways. Sorry again.  


You scratch the back of your head, reminded of the injury. You didn't think it was that bad at time, but you also had your minds on other matters. The expressions on Rose and Kanaya's faces have become less panicked and more solemn, as they've realized that all their efforts in the past few hours have been in vain. It makes your heart twinge seeing them look like that.

KANAYA: If You Are Telling The Truth About This Than Perhaps We Should Move Immediately So Your Life Is No Longer At Risk  
JUNE: Oh yeah, I can just take you there. Give me a second.  


You reach forward and hold the arms of Rose and Kanaya, activating your retcon power. You envision your body sprawled on the floor of Jade's living room in a pool of your own blood. The material of reality bends and folds, shifting the three of you to the place you were imagining. Less than five seconds later, your vision clears, and you find yourself in a place much darker than where you came from.

This is Jade's living room, but the lack of natural light means that the only things illuminating the room are you and Kanaya, with her glow far outshining yours. Rose glances at you, most likely only noticing your luminescence just now. The room seems pretty much the same since the last time you've seen it, save for the body right in the middle of it. You're laying there, blood puddle and all, though it's considerably smaller than what you were imagining. Ruffles the dog is laying next to you, the tips of his forepaws dipped in your blood.

Kanaya exclaims and rushes over to your body, frantically examining it. Rose rushes over to the closest lamp she can find and turns it on, illuminating the room much more clearly than you or Kanaya did. She wastes no time in pulling out her phone once more and contacting someone, most likely Jane. You were kind of expecting her to still be there for some reason, and you really have no idea where she is. Guess you'll have to figure this out without her.

Kanaya produces what looks like a first aid kit from her sylladex, which seems very practical to you. Your gaze falls back on your body. You feel rooted to the spot for some reason, like your feet are suddenly made of lead. It's only hitting you now that you almost died. You could have easily passed away, and it's probably only due to your godly constitution that you survived to this point at all. Didn't Jade say that an ordinary person would have been in a coma by this point?

As Kanaya treats your wound and Rose finishes her call, you wonder what you can even do to help. Jake's boost doesn't seem to be doing you much good in the mental department anymore, and its starting to feel like every moment you've spent back in the present is handing off the important stuff to the people who are way more competent than you. Like, you're just kind of standing here, doing nothing, while Kanaya and Rose do the actual work. 

KANAYA: June Where Is The Best Place To Rest Your Unconscious Body  
JUNE: The best place? I guess Jade has a bedroom close by.  
KANAYA: Great, Show Me The Way Immediately   


She seems to have finished stitching you up, though your neck and hair are still coated in blood. She lifts you up in a bridal carry and looks your way. Given the look on her face, she's worried about something, which is pretty understandable. You point to the entrance of the corridor to your right and speak.

JUNE: Its down at the end of this super long hallway, the very last door.   
KANAYA: Thank You  


Without another word, she bolts, zipping down the corridor and disappearing within seconds. Ruffles gets up and bounds after her, trailing behind. You exhale through your nose, somewhat relieved that you've more or less done what you set out to do. Rose turns to face you, and engages you in conversation.

ROSE: Well, that's that.  
JUNE: Yep.  
ROSE: I'll join her in a moment, but first I'd like to ask you something.  
JUNE: Oh, sure. What is it?  
ROSE: Now that you've successfully averted your near death at the hands of your own folly and changed the events of the future, what happens to you now?  
JUNE: Oh, yeah, there's actually something really important I need to tell you about that.  
JUNE: So, I was pretty much in an artificial coma for like a year and a half, and the world kind of became awful while I was asleep. A few days from now there's this big wind thing that I accidentally made that destroys my house and also eventually the entire world, so to stop that I need to absorb it and prevent it from being a thing.  
JUNE: Dirk and Terezi should have some idea about it, I'm still kind of unsure what it actually is, but what matters is that the me that we just found a minute ago needs to be at my house in a couple days so we can prevent that from happening.  
ROSE: I see.   
JUNE: Oh. Really? That was kind of a lot of stuff, Rose.  
ROSE: I more or less understand the situation, why you're here, and what needs to be done. The only real question is, what do you do now?  
JUNE: Oh, yeah. Future Terezi told me I had to make a choice or something. It was pretty confusing and I don't really get it, but I think it's important.  
JUNE: Oh, Terezi and Vriska are back, by the way.  


Rose looks at you with pained eyes, but a thin smile still adorns her face.

ROSE: I'm aware.  
ROSE: I have a feeling this choice involves travelling to a time and place that isn't here.  
JUNE: Probably. It's all kinda vague, but I get the feeling there's like, a spot that's been reserved for me, where I can retcon to and kind of think about stuff, or something like that.  
ROSE: Perhaps that feeling is leading you to exactly the time and place you need to go.  
JUNE: Yeah. Maybe.  
JUNE: You know, you seem pretty calm about all of this, Rose.  
ROSE: Is that so? I suppose I'm simply unsurprised with how events have unfolded since the chaotic disruption of your intervention. The moment you forcibly exited yourself from the scene, I could tell there was something that changed.  
ROSE: Its a feeling I've had multiple times before, but this time it was amplified, like your departure would herald a terrible threat to our way of life. I suppose the fact that you're here now to fix all of this means my feeling was correct.  
JUNE: Well, yeah. I'm not gonna lie Rose, the future totally sucked. What about those other times, though?   
ROSE: This might sound a bit odd, but there have been five times in the past five months that this feeling has come to me. The first of those five times came at a seemingly random moment, and passed as soon as it came. I thought nothing of it, but a pattern emerged soon after.  
ROSE: At the end of every month, the feeling returned, usually only for minutes on end. It was always vague, and always subtle, like there was some threat or danger that had become real, or a safety net that had always been there had vanished, but it was all so far away that there would be no way for me to tangibly perceive it.  


Your blood turns to stone. You know exactly what she's talking about, and the conclusion that your mind is heading to is so terrifying that you try to immediately fill the room in your brain with your own speech.

JUNE: Wow Rose, that does sound pretty scary. What was that you said about it being different this time?  
ROSE: Yes, shortly after your departure, the feeling arose in my mind once again, despite my insistence to myself that everything was under control. I was lying to myself of course, and the fact that the feeling was significantly more difficult to ignore and stuck around for much longer than it had in the past didn't make it any easier.   
ROSE: However, ten minutes or so before Kanaya miraculously found you and brought you back, the feeling vanished, like it was never there in the first place. Somehow, through no action of my own, things would be fine again. I could tell immediately upon your arrival that you were not native to this time to some degree. It didn't take much to deduce that you were the primary reason for those same feelings in the past, in some way.  


Oh fuck you were right she's onto you oh fuck oh fuck

JUNE: Haha wow, that sounds like a really crazy coincidence Rose! This is pretty much the only time that something like this has happened, so I don't really see how I'm related to all those other times. Maybe its just your seer powers acting up, like your headaches?  
ROSE: I wish it was so. Unfortunately, unlike the headaches, these feelings are not byproducts of my powers, they are the intended effect. They're much closer to an inadvertent usage rather than an unintended consequence of being too in touch with the essence of probability and fortune.  
ROSE: No, I think it's much more likely that there was a direct action that you took at a set time at the end of each month since you've come out, which you then immediately take back. It doesn't take much to infer what that action entails, June.  


A bead of sweat rolls down the side of your face. The only reason you're not totally flipping out is because of Jake's buff, and even that's starting to fade.

JUNE: I, um. Uh. N-no?  


What the fuck was that? Good job idiot, she's definitely convinced now.

ROSE: An interesting hypothesis, June. Were I not an exceptionally talented wordsmith I might have succumbed to the highly concentrated power of reason you've just laid down upon me, but thankfully, I am. I hope you appreciate the effort and skill that's required to form a rebuttal to such a solid and unshakable statement such as the one you've made to me.  
ROSE: Consider this, June.   
ROSE: What if, y-yes?  


The pressure in your temples is back, and so is your instinct to run into the breeze to escape the questioning that's almost assuredly about to come your way. Is there anything you can do to convince her to drop this whole line of conversation?

ROSE: June.  


Your attention snaps right back to Rose, any thoughts of escape beginning to fade away to panic. She sighs and looks away in exasperation, her gaze fixing on the place where your body once was.

ROSE: You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to.  
JUNE: W-what?  
ROSE: I know I'm not the most socially proficient of all of our friends, but it's clear to me that I was pressing you too hard. I'm not trying to make you panic, I just want to know what's wrong so I can help.   
ROSE: Its beyond obvious that there is something going on beyond your illness which I'm still not entirely knowledgeable about, but I won't push for any answers you aren't willing to give me.  
ROSE: I,  


She crosses her arms, still not looking at you.

ROSE: I shouldn't have lied about the intervention. It was incredibly misleading to make you expect one thing and give you something entirely different. I should have just told you what the purpose of that meeting was from the start.   
ROSE: I apologize.  


She lets out a silent exhale and waits for your response. You're completely dumbfounded. Every single time somebody has pressed you about this, you've had to either tell them everything they were asking for or risk completely flipping out from the pressure, or both. Now, Rose is giving you the option to just say nothing. The knowledge that you don't have to tell her anything lifts an immense pressure off your back, and it's lack makes you feel a sudden sense of freedom, like you could tell her anything besides the one thing you can't. 

JUNE: Its uh,  
JUNE: Its ok.  
JUNE: I'm sorry for keeping stuff from you, but I really, really don't want to talk about this right now. Maybe we can once we figure out this whole impending doom thing, but right now I just want to focus on what's right in front of me.   
JUNE: Um, if that's ok.  
ROSE: Its quite alright, June. And in case I forgot to say, I'm happy you're alright.  
ROSE: Now, before I send you off to make an ambiguous but apparently crucial decision, is there anything you're forgetting?  


You wrack your brain, going through the plan once more. You've done pretty much everything save for filling in Jade, but that can wait until later. From what you heard of Rose's side of her call, Jane is on the way, and Kanaya has stopped your bleeding. Is there anything else?

You take a quick inventory of your sylladex and notice the one thing that's left in it. You uncaptchalogue the folder with your medical notes and hand it over to Rose, who promptly starts parsing through it.

JUNE: In the future, I found this. I think it's probably important, but it's way too much stuff for me to look through it all. I think it's like, notes doctors made on me and stuff, so it might help.  


Rose flips through a few pages, skims a bit, and captchalogues it.

ROSE: Medicine and health are certainly not my area of expertise, but I’m willing to bet this will be indispensable given the amount of information in there.  
JUNE: Cool.  
ROSE: Now, if there's nothing else-  


Rose places her hands on your chest and leans towards you, placing a kiss on your cheek. It takes you by surprise, but only because you forgot this was something that could happen. She's smiling at you, warmer and more loving than before. It only takes you a moment of hesitation to kiss her back, your lips pressing against hers. You get a hint of the taste of her lipstick. It tastes strange, but it doesn't dissuade you at all. 

You break off the kiss after a few seconds, not wanting to get too distracted. It's pretty tempting, though. You can feel something pulling you away, decreasing your connection to the current moment every second that goes by. You say your next sentence with a slight smile, the ends of your mouth perking up.

JUNE: I think I'm gonna go now. I'll be back in like, five seconds, so you won't miss me too much.  
ROSE: I hope all goes well for you. Kanaya and I will be waiting for you when you return, should that be five seconds or another five hours.  
JUNE: Heh. Bye, Rose.  


Not wanting to accidentally bring Rose with you, you take a few steps back. The only thing that's left is to make your choice. You put all your focus on wherever and whenever that may take you, and your body and soul is gently but swiftly pulled away by the forces of reality.


	10. Day 18

The electric bending of reality places you at what you feel is your destination. Your eyes are bathed in bright light, and you automatically squint. Your eyes slowly adjust, and as they do, you get a look at your present location.

You seem to be on some sort of stage in an auditorium, the strong stage lights shining down on you from above. All of the seats in the audience are empty, but there's a couple people here with you on the stage. A few feet away from you sit Roxy and Callie on top of a large pink and blue blanket.

You blink a few times, your vision finally clearing. It seems like the two of them are having some sort of picnic, given the colorful basket and foods adorning the blanket. Roxy is wearing some unique colorful clothing which doesn't cover him up as much as winter clothing probably should, and Callie is covered neck-down with a bright green and blue shawl. Callie looks completely delighted to see you, a large smile on their face, while Roxy looks more happily surprised than anything.

ROXY: holy shit  
ROXY: hows it goin girl  
ROXY: didnt think youd actually get up outta ur coma 2 come have lunch w/ us but here u r  
CALLIE: Hello JUne, welcome to oUr picnic! We've been waiting for yoU.  
JUNE: Uhm. Hey guys, I guess? I wasn't really expecting this, haha.  
CALLIE: Well, don't jUst stand there, come have a sit with Us!  
ROXY: yea may as well right  
ROXY: dont kno where u thought u were goin but ur here now so u should just chill for a bit  
JUNE: Yeah, I guess you're right.  


You walk over to the blanket (or is it a tablecloth?) and sit down, one leg crossing the other. They seem to have already taken some food out of the basket, including sweets, pies, sandwiches, and what looks like a bunch of tiny meat cubes on sticks. Only a third of them are cooked.

ROXY: u kno i thought Callie was full of shit when they said u were comin but i guess i gotta have a little more faith  
JUNE: Well, I don't actually remember Callie inviting me to anything like this? So I think I just kind of showed up here randomly.  
CALLIE: Oh, do yoU not remember JUne? Think back to the last time we talked, sUrely it will come back to yoU.  
JUNE: The last time we talked? For me, that was the most recent time we went to the Saffron Theater together, which I think is this place, right?  
CALLIE: Indeed!  
JUNE: And if you're talking about the literal last time we spoke, then I think you said…  
JUNE: You'll see me in two weeks?  
CALLIE: Correct! Well done, JUne. Do yoU like the fUn little event I've prepared for yoU?  
ROXY: the fun little event that WE prepared u mean  
ROXY: these cute little meat dealios didnt cut themselves u kno  
CALLIE: Of coUrse! I doUbt I coUld've convinced them to clear the theatre by myself, and these treats yoU've arranged are positively exqUisite.  
ROXY: aw cmon babe u kno ur just as popular as the rest of us, theyd clear this place out for u in a heartbeat  


Callie lets out a giggle, making a hand motion to Roxy while they do so. You can't bring yourself to find it cute, however. You're still pretty dumbfounded about what you're doing here. Apparently it's two weeks in the future and everything is ok, but you're in a coma? What's going on?

Roxy pulls a sandwich from the basket and takes a big bite out of it, leaning back with one hand that supports his weight from behind. Callie also takes one, but instead of eating it themselves, they offer it to you. Still smiling as brightly as before, the look they give you is one of suppressed excitement.

CALLIE: Don't be shy, JUne. Feel free to have anything yoU like. YoU need to keep Up yoUr energy in order to make an informed decision, after all.  
JUNE: A decision? You mean-  


They insistently thrust the sandwich up to you, placing it in your hands. Their expression makes you wonder about the situation you've found yourself in. You look down at the sandwich, noticing some of the ingredients. Meat, cheese, tomato, along with some other stuff. You process things for a moment before closing your eyes and shutting away all of the stray thoughts and questions.

You decide a sandwich and some sweets is a much better final meal than a box of stale crackers, and dig in.

\-----

You polish off your second sandwich. You still can't taste anything, but that hasn't stopped you from chowing down. Between bites, the three of you have been chatting about this and that, mostly what's happened in the past week and a half since you left. It's felt like ages since you've last seen Roxy, and it's been fun just listening to him talk about whatever.

Turns out you've been in a coma of some sort after the other you took in your 'ascended consciousness', and they're just waiting for you to wake up. You've been trying to ask Callie more about that, as well as what they know about your choice, but they've been strangely tight-lipped since you started eating, seemingly content to wait until you were ready to talk in earnest.

You stopped pushing after a couple tries. You figured they're just trying to give you a nice time where you can relax for a little bit before you make your big choice, whatever that entails. The hope boost from Jake has faded away at this point, it's soft but reassuring glow having melted into nothing. Now that you've taken your mind off things for a while and your mind is unaltered, you feel like you're ready to get to business and do what you came here for.

Roxy is just finishing up the last of the little pie treats, and Callie seems to have picked up your intent. They say nothing, but the look they're giving you tells you that they're ready to answer your questions now. At least, that's what you think they're saying. Uncertainty aside, you decide to speak up and get things moving. You clear your throat, a small but not unnoticeable amount of blood tickling the back of your throat.

JUNE: Hey, so, thanks for preparing this whole indoor picnic thing, you two. The food was great.  
CALLIE: Its oUr pleasUre, JUne!  
ROXY: hell yeah it is  
ROXY: yknow its been too fuckin long since we just hung out and shot the shit  
ROXY: is that how you do that saying in the past tense i was never rly sure   
ROXY: btw r u gettin ready to leave or smth cuz thats what it sounds like and that would kinda suck June   
ROXY: like u basically just got here and it doesnt make a whole lotta sense 2 just evaporate on outta here just cuz ur done eating or w/e  
JUNE: Oh no, I still wanted to hang around for a while.   
ROXY: ay thats what i like to hear  
JUNE: Yeah, there was a thing I wanted to talk about in particular, actually.  
ROXY: o well dont let me hold u back lol  
JUNE: Yep. So, Callie, you know what I want to talk about, right?  
CALLIE: I believe I do, bUt if yoU'd indUlge me, I'd like to hear it come from yoUr own moUth first!  
JUNE: Oh, ok, sure I guess.  
CALLIE: ^u^  
JUNE: So, I'm here to make a choice, or a decision, or something like that. But the thing is, I don't know what that choice actually is? Like, I'm unsure what it is I'm supposed to be choosing, or what the options are, or any of that stuff.   
CALLIE: I'd be happy to inform yoU on that sUbject!   
CALLIE: Before we get into the nitty gritty, I take it yoU're already aware to some degree of the fate that awaits yoU once yoUr decision is well and trUly made?  


You turn your head towards Callie. How do they know that? Actually, how do they know anything about any of this? It seems like they planned for your arrival in advance. Didn't Roxy say you were in a coma? There's no way they were just expecting you to magically be fine today for no reason. No, they did all of this for this specific you, not anyone else. 

Does it matter why they know? You were never really quick on the uptake when it came to information, you just kind of left it to Rose and Dave to figure things out, and more recently, Terezi and Dirk have filled you in on all the stuff you totally missed out on. Hell, you wouldn't even know you had to make a choice at all if it wasn't for them. You'll just have to move on and not ask too many stupid questions.

JUNE: I think I know what happens, yeah. I die at the end, right?  


Roxy makes a coughing sound, and you shift your gaze to see him choking on a piece of pie. He hits his chest and leans forward, eventually swallowing the bite, and coughing afterwards. He takes a couple quick breaths before speaking.

ROXY: you goddam fuckin what now  
ROXY: is this a game u 2 r playing or some shit cuz if it isnt then y did nobody think to fill me in on the details of whats currently goin on  
JUNE: I don't think I know much more than you do, Roxy.  
CALLIE: Perhaps I shoUld exposit a bit before revealing the parameters of the choice so everyone is Up to speed?  
JUNE: That might help, yeah.  


Callie clasps their hands together, the claws at the end of their digits clacking against each other. The smile on their face widens slightly, their excitement apparent to anyone.

CALLIE: Lovely! First, as Roxy is Unaware of the temporal goings on, I'll give a basic overview since JUne exited her last time of thirteen days ago.  
CALLIE: Since yoUr departUre, yoUr other UnconscioUs body was haUled to the location where yoUr ascended soUl woUld toUch down, after which it received said ascended soUl. Since then, it has been asleep, waiting for completion to awaken. It has been waiting for yoU, JUne!  
JUNE: Me? But, didn't the other me already do everything? Like, haven't I pretty much done everything right? All we have to do is wait for the other me to wake up.  
CALLIE: Not so. YoU see, they will remain incomplete Until they join together with yoU.   
CALLIE: At this point, yoU have become a separate entity to the JUne yoU've foisted responsibility onto. She will no longer become yoU, thoUgh yoU were once her.   
JUNE: I guess that makes sense, but if the other me is the one that takes in the big angry soulstorm I puked out, what does that make me? Am I just, like, an extra June?  
CALLIE: Not so! YoU are jUst as important as her, if not more so. YoU still have the ability to change things, to shift reality to sUit yoUr whims. This brings Us to yoUr choice, mUch anticipated as it is.  
CALLIE: There are two paths present, thoUgh both will Ultimately lead to the same resUlt.   
CALLIE: YoU can either remain here, and wait for yoUr tUrn to die. After yoU do so, yoUr soUl will rise from yoUr body, and it shall join with the yoU that has already United with all of yoUr other selves. After this, the complete yoU will rise from yoUr slUmber and join the world of the living once more.  
CALLIE: Which is to say, the world yoU were already residing in!  


A dull sense of melancholy reaches you. That was sort of a bleak option, but not terrible. You'll still be around after you die, or some version of you, anyways. Roxy looks pretty skeptical of what Callie has been saying, but he says nothing, waiting for one of the two of you to continue.

JUNE: Alright, I guess. What's the other option?  
CALLIE: The alternative option is to UsUrp the path that's been set for yoUr other self. Instead of her receiving yoUr ascended conscioUsness, yoU take it in her stead, and wait for her eventUal death, whereUpon she joins yoU, completing into the final, penUltimate JUne. YoUr Ultimate Self, if yoU will.  
CALLIE: As I've said, the joy of this decision is that the end resUlt will be the same! All versions of yoU will join into one, and yoUr Ultimate Self will arise, shielding this line of reality by virtUe of merely existing!  
CALLIE: A positive ending regardless of choice, and a narrative left UntoUched by oUtsiders afterwards! I coUldn't think of a more ideal scenario if I tried!  
ROXY: yea hold up a sec Callie  


Roxy squints his eyes at the cherub, a clear suspicion present on his face. You're trying to follow along, but it feels like you're getting left in the dust. The things Callie is talking about really aren't making any sense to you. 

ROXY: did u just say narrative  
CALLIE: I did! The metatextUal power of an ascended JUne Egbert woUld be completely Unrivaled by any other being! I'm not exaggerating when I say that an Ultimate JUne woUld be the ideal protector of the narrative, as one who possesses sUpreme aUthority over it, bUt who woUld rather simply decide to leave it alone!   
ROXY: ok  
ROXY: what  


Callie looks absolutely ecstatic, despite the look on Roxy's face making his dissatisfaction at the things they've been saying as clear as can be. You have a feeling you're not looking too happy at what they've told you, either.

CALLIE: Its perfect, really!   
JUNE: ...How is this perfect?  
CALLIE: Its simple! Imagine oUr reality is like a ship oUt at sea, and all of the crew are Us and oUr friends. Right now, everything has gone qUite alright, bUt the ship has no captain; nobody to steer the ship. The ship has no set direction, and no end in sight.  
CALLIE: BUt, Upon yoUr ascension, yoU gain more than enoUgh power to become the captain! YoU'll have the ship and all it's crew to command as yoU see fit. BUt, instead of forcing yoUr will Upon them and charting a coUrse to some far off destination, yoU will instead leave things as they are, allowing the ship to wander as it pleases.  
CALLIE: To illUstrate my point, let me ask yoU a qUestion, JUne.  
JUNE: Oh, uh, sure.  
CALLIE: If yoU sUddenly gained direct power over anyone and everyone yoU know, like yoU coUld pUll a string and make them do yoUr bidding, what woUld yoU do with it?  
JUNE: Oh, wow. I don't even know. I don't feel like I should get to just tell people what to do all the time, that feels way too bossy. And, I guess, if I'm making my friends do stuff they don't really want to do, that would make me kind of a shitty friend.  
JUNE: So, I don't think I would really do anything.  
CALLIE: Precisely!  


Callie throws up their hands, presumably in elation. You're not too sure what to make of all of this, but it kind of feels like it doesn't really change much. Either the monologue was really tiring, or you're just really sleepy from the food, but you're just kind of exhausted either way.

ROXY: Callie  
ROXY: babe   
ROXY: ur the light of my life and i love u so much i cant even describe it but holy shit u r so wrong abt all of this shit its unreal  
CALLIE: What do yoU mean?  
ROXY: oh come on dont act like u dont kno what im talkin about here, u cant say all of that stuff n then b all confused   
ROXY: this is all a load of shit n u kno it Callie  
CALLIE: Roxy?  
ROXY: alright look i dunno about any of this narrative shit or whatever but i got no fuckin clue why ur actin like June kickin the bucket and fallin over dead is just not a big deal cuz guess the fuck what  
ROXY: it is  
ROXY: like since when has someone dying just been smth to not b worried about ever  
ROXY: matter a fact  
ROXY: hey June   
ROXY: look at me  
JUNE: Huh?   
ROXY: im not joking girl look right at me  


You turn your head towards Roxy, and look at him as instructed. You meet his gaze, and there's not a hint of amusement or playfulness in his eyes. Unlike almost all the other times you've seen him since you've come out, Roxy isn't messing around. Serious Roxy isn't something you're entirely sure you like seeing. It looks like Callie isn't a big fan either, given how their smile has started to falter. 

ROXY: imma ask u a pretty serious question June but i need u to answer honestly alright  
JUNE: Oh, ok. Sure, Roxy.  
ROXY: k here goes  
ROXY: do u wanna die June   


Your heart stops for a moment. For some reason, that question really rubs you the wrong way, and you don't want to think about the answer to it now, or possibly ever. You know Roxy is expecting something out of you, and what you say to him is given out with an uncertain and shaky voice.

JUNE: I, uhm. No? No, I don't think so, maybe. Probably.  
ROXY: ok well u not knowing that for sure is kinda mega concerning but lets get back to that in a sec  
ROXY: can u at least tell me that u dying is not a good thing at all or is that smth that ur still on the fence about  
JUNE: Oh, well, yeah, it pretty much is a bad thing. I guess anybody dying is a bad thing.  
ROXY: yea exactly and in case u didnt kno ur an anybody  
ROXY: or like  
ROXY: a person  
ROXY: and persons dying isnt good  
ROXY ok im kinda fuckin this up but my point is that u dying is bad and we shouldn't just b accepting it for no reason  
ROXY: u matter  
ROXY: and between all 13 of us im preeeeetty sure we could figure out a way 2 make u not die   
ROXY: for example  
ROXY: what if i tried to like, steal the thing thats killing u rn  
JUNE: I don't think it really works like that.  
ROXY: whatchu mean  
JUNE: Like, rather than something that I have that you could take away, it's more like something I don't have, and not having it is what's wrong.  
ROXY: then y dont i just make that thing for u so u dont gotta b sick  
JUNE: Well, even if you could somehow do that before I die, that would still leave the other me in a coma, and I don't even know what would happen then.   
ROXY: ok yea maybe but like  
ROXY: idk i feel like limiting ur options to just 2 things is pretty dumb, specially since this is kinda a big fuckin deal?  
ROXY: i dont rly see how u 2 r just all chill discussing all this super drastic stuff like it aint all kinds of important  


Roxy begins to fidget with the hem of his shirt, the fabric twisting and turning under his fingers. His eyes shift back and forth between you and Callie, unsure of what to say next. Callie's smile has been reduced to a slight grin, but it persists nonetheless. The bright spotlights from overhead continue to beam down upon the three of you, and you're starting to find it difficult to pay attention to what Callie says next.

CALLIE: Roxy, I fear yoU're fretting over an issUe where there is none.  
CALLIE: This JUne will or won't die, depending on her choice. BUt, the end resUlt will be the same. She is not going anywhere, and we are not leaving her to some terrible fate. She will persist, and come oUt of this a stronger and more whole being. This is not an ending, rather, a new beginning!  
CALLIE: It is regrettable that things have to happen the way they do, bUt I implore yoU to sUpport JUne, no matter what decision she makes.  
ROXY: no i get that Callie i rly do  
ROXY: like now that that 1st shock of June sayin shes gonna die has mostly gone away im just thinkin that we still dont have to do things like this  
ROXY: like dont we have ppl that can time travel and all that  
ROXY: there just aint a need to limit ourselves to the shit thats right in front of our faces ykno  
ROXY: also correct me if im wrong but isnt June god-tier like all tha other humans?? if she dies aint she just gonna rez right away?  
CALLIE: UnfortUnately, that isn't qUite the case. She is god-tier, yes, bUt her conditional immortality still comes into play. VirtUally all of the actions JUne has taken in the past few months have been in service of others, and throUgh her own eyes, she has been working to save Us all from a tragic fate.  
CALLIE: I'm Uncertain, but it is very likely that were she to die by ordinary means, it woUld be a heroic death.  


You turn to Callie completely, your eyes widening. Are they serious? Does that mean if you had died at any point in the past four months, you would have died forever? The thought churns your stomach, and you realize if you hadn't barely been saved by Jade and her doctors in the other timeline, you might have died for real, and left everyone to clean up your mess. The world would have been screwed because you were trying to save your friends.

God, you are such an idiot.

The two are still talking, but you're no longer paying attention, your ears having tuned them out. You've instead resorted to staring at the blanket you've been sitting on since you got here. It's soft, and it doesn't fit the stage at all, the bright blue and pink sticking out against the hard brown wood. 

The empty darkness of the rest of the auditorium seems to close in while the heat of the light from above presses down on you. There's a box forming around you, and the infinite possibilities that were once available to you have been stamped out, due in no small part to your own actions. It's just about time to make your choice.

You guess you could die here.

It's not like this is an ideal scenario, and this place isn't exactly the best of locations to kick the bucket, but you could be fine with this. Really, it's not so bad. You've just had a hell of a meal (even if you couldn't taste any of it), talked about some stuff with friends, and now you're admiring your surroundings. If you were a creative mind, you might say that things ending here would be poetic, somehow. But you're not, so you won't. 

It's possible that things won't turn out as great as Callie is making them out to be. Maybe your Ultimate Self is so different from the current version of you that it won't really be you who wakes up in your body. Maybe becoming every version of yourself all at once will be so painful, so excruciating that you'll just off yourself the moment you come out of that coma.

Well, what if you don't want to leave things to fate? What about your other option? You could do the important stuff yourself, and not risk losing as much control over your own personhood if you go back and take in your ascended self, instead of your past self that you saved from bleeding out. Would that be ok?

But if you did that, then what was the point of following through with Terezi and Vriska's plan in the first place? If the other you was just going to die anyways, why did you even bother to save her? And now that she's more or less safe, if you became the vessel instead of her, wouldn't you be dooming her? Isn't that the same as just outright killing her? Even if it's just another version of you, you don't think you could stomach doing that to anyone.

This line of thinking is making you a little uneasy. You suppose you'll roll the dice and let things play out as they were going to anyways. This theater will be your very temporary resting place, and your consciousness will join your ascended self at this moment in time. Frankly, you had a feeling you were going to pick this in the end, but you still wanted to at least consider the other option, considering the gravity of the situation.

Strangely, it doesn't bother you as much as you feel it probably should. Sure, there's the underlying sense of dread and unease that you're about to undergo something you'd rather not, but you've been staring this kind of thing in the face for days. Months, if you want to be dramatic. Still, this isn't exactly a normal reaction. Maybe Roxy was right, and you've been massively downplaying this whole thing. Maybe the normal reaction is to scream and yell and cry and be as emotional as you can possibly be. Maybe… 

JUNE: Maybe there's something wrong with me.  


The two who had been speaking cease their argument, and turn to look at you. The sudden attention doesn't seem to bother you this time.

JUNE: I think I get what you two have been saying. I know I've got options, and I can ask everyone else for help if I really want to. We could probably find something to fix me, and my decision is important, all of that stuff.  
JUNE: But I don't think any of it really matters that much.  
JUNE: Things will pretty much end up the same no matter what, right? Even if we find some way to extend my life, it would really just be delaying the inevitable.  
JUNE: And it's not like I can't feel it, you know? I know that something is missing. I know that some part of me is gone, and if I don't go through with this, I'll never get it back. And I don't-  
JUNE: I don't think I can really put up with this, any of this for much longer. I think…  


A sigh escapes you, any remaining tension in your body leaving with it. You're almost slumped over, barely even trying to keep yourself upright.

JUNE: I think I'm really, really, really tired.  
JUNE: And I just want things to be over.  


An expression of disappointment and sadness rises to Roxy's face, and the ever present smile on Callie's has finally faded, a thin, neutral line taking its place. They shift their body towards you, inching slightly closer. The words they speak carry an air of importance that all of their previous ones didn't.

CALLIE: Are yoU ready to make yoUr choice?  
JUNE: Yeah. I guess so.  
CALLIE: Then, shall yoU stay?   
CALLIE: Or shall yoU go?   
JUNE: I think…   


Your vision seems to zero in on Callie. The stage, picnic basket, and Roxy fade away as you hone in on the two options present before you, like the universe is fixating on this one particular moment in time. You don't need to debate with yourself any longer than you already have, though. You've already made your choice. All that's left is to say it out loud, and make it final. 

JUNE: I think I'll stay-  
ROXY: WAIT  


Your vision returns to normal, and you turn to Roxy, who is now standing right next to you and Callie, who looks just as surprised as you feel. 

ROXY: whew dunno y it was so hard to just say literally anything there  
ROXY: felt like i had to steal my goddam relevance in this convo back from the grave or smth  
ROXY: anyways sorry 2 interrupt u like that but i wanna ask u smth b4 u decide 4 real  
JUNE: What do you mean?   
ROXY: well u were gonna choose to stay here rite  
JUNE: Oh, uh, yeah.   
CALLIE: Roxy, if yoU're considering giving JUne grief over her choice, I insist yoU don't-  
ROXY: nah thats   
ROXY: i wasnt gonna.  
ROXY: just, ah,  


Roxy tears his gaze away from you and pauses. After a few seconds, he gathers his thoughts, and speaks up again.

ROXY: man i cant say anything cool when u 2 r all sittin down like that, get up here  


He grabs your hands and pulls you up to his level. It takes you a moment to steady yourself on your own two feet, while Callie stands up by themselves, their face mostly neutral once more.

ROXY: dam when did u get so lite girl  
ROXY: kinda weird considerin how beefy u used 2 b but w/e  
ROXY: so look   
ROXY: im not gonna give u shit over ur choice  
JUNE: You're not?  
ROXY: nope  
ROXY: but theres smth i want u 2 do b4 u lock this in and u cant go back  
JUNE: Yeah, sure. I'll do it if I can.  
ROXY: cool  
ROXY: so uh  
ROXY: u remember what i said abt u bein a person who matters n all that  
JUNE: Yes?  
ROXY: well   
ROXY: thats not actually what this is abt  
ROXY: ok tbh im kinda havin trouble tryna think of a way 2 say this all smooth  
ROXY: so like i was gonna lead in with smth we already talked abt but i cant rly think of a good way 2 do that so im just gonna say what I wanna say  
ROXY: i want u 2 go back 2 th point where u came from n say goodbye 2 every1  
JUNE: You… want me to say goodbye? Why?  
ROXY: well i mean  
ROXY: i dont wanna put any ideas in ur head that aint already there but like  
ROXY: what if this ultimate June or w/e is like, way different 2 u  
ROXY: like i kno ur not dying 4ever and ur not even goin anywhere rly   
ROXY: but the actual person thats rite here in front of me? ur gonna b gone  
ROXY: or mostly gone  
ROXY: and i like this u  
ROXY: so i think if theres any1 else that likes this u, which i kno there is, then u should at least talk w/ em b4 u get put in th dirt ykno   
ROXY: cuz I think theyd wanna c u 1 last time  
JUNE: ...Yeah, I was also a little worried about that.  
JUNE: And, I did tell Rose that I would be right back. I don't want to lie to her.  
ROXY: then how bout this  
ROXY: u hop back there, tell her n any1 else ur whole deal, mayb hug a bit, and come back when ur all done  
ROXY: so u still dont gotta change anythin but youve at least said ur goodbyes so u wont have any regrets  
ROXY: sound good  


What Roxy is saying makes enough sense, and even if you wanted to argue, you really do want to see everyone again, even if it's just one last time. You can't think of any reason to say no.

JUNE: Yeah, that sounds good.  
JUNE: I think I'll do that.  
ROXY: sweet  
ROXY: what do u think Callie  


Callie closes their eyes, seemingly content. The smile slowly returns to their face, if only in the shape of a slight grin.

CALLIE: Yes, that is acceptable. I will respect yoUr decision, JUne. I assUme yoU will come right back once yoU've finished?  
JUNE: Yep.   
CALLIE: Excellent. I wish yoU safe travels, and a swift return.  


They open their eyes, and their gaze locks onto you. There's something about the intensity of their stare that makes you uncomfortable, but you can't quite put your finger on it. It's probably not that important. Roxy is still standing right next to you, messing with the end of his shirt. His mouth opens, then closes right after. Is there something he's trying to say?

JUNE: Is-  
ROXY: June  
ROXY: fuck i uh  
ROXY: sry what were u gonna say  
JUNE: Nothing, really. You can go first.  
ROXY: k  
ROXY: so like  
ROXY: i kinda wanna say my own goodbye or smth even tho i kno ur gonna b back in like 2 seconds after u zap outta here  
ROXY: buuuuuut i dont rly kno what 2 say?   
ROXY: like ur rite here in front of me n i cant think of a single fuckin thing that i would actually wanna get off my chest  
ROXY: so  
ROXY: i guess im just stallin for time at this point tbh   
JUNE: Heh, that's ok Roxy. I usually don't know what to say when this kinda stuff happens either.  
JUNE: I'll be back in no time at all, so you don't have to worry about anything.  
ROXY: yea  
ROXY: guess ur rite  
ROXY: cya June  


Roxy forces up a grin, but you don't notice the fakeness of it. You're too occupied with the sensation of finality looming over you, moving you forward. You've made your choice, now you just have to follow through with it, with however much time you have left. A smile, genuine in nature, shows itself on your face, and you say one last thing before falling back through reality.

JUNE: See you soon!  


You give him a wave, and after a moment, you rewrite your existence, tearing yourself away from the theater. A bright white light engulfs your vision, and the strong tug of certainty drags you back to your destination.

\-----

You zap back to the present, the lab and Rose exactly as you left them. She smiles upon your return, and a surge of emotions hits you. There's so much you want to tell her, so much you want to say. You push that all down, just far down enough so you can ignore it until you leave. You're just here to say your goodbyes, and then you're out. You don't think you have much time left to mess around.

JUNE: Hey, Rose. I'm back.  
ROSE: Welcome back, June. If you can believe it, that was exactly eleven seconds since your departure.   
JUNE: Shoot. This thing isn't super precise most of the time.  
ROSE: A six second margin of error is fairly acceptable, I'd say. I was prepared to wait thirty seconds or so, but I'm glad you've come earlier than that.  
JUNE: Aww, thanks.   
JUNE: Oh yeah, is Kanaya still by herself? We should go help her out, she's probably worried.  
ROSE: I was tempted to leave ahead of you for that very reason, but seeing as though I don't know my way around, I thought it the better option to wait for you to arrive and guide me instead.  
JUNE: Oh, it's not like this place is a labyrinth, but sure. We just need to go down the hallway Kanaya went down earlier, and keep going until we reach a split. After that, just take a right and we'll be there.  
ROSE: I see. And, may I ask, how was Kanaya supposed to know this?  
JUNE: Oh. I uh, just kind of assumed she would get it right the first time.  
ROSE: An excellent plan if I ever heard one.  
JUNE: Oh, come on, I'm sure she figured it out.  
ROSE: Most likely, but one never knows. Perhaps we should cease this conversation until we've met up with her.  
JUNE: Yeah, probably.   


Rose takes her own advice and turns around to walk down the hallway, and you follow after her, a few paces behind. You're feeling pretty sluggish, but it's not like you can't walk. You're just slower than you thought you would be.

Rose moves around the upcoming bend, taking a glance at you before she disappears from sight, like she's trying to make sure you're keeping up. You notice a slight glimmer in her eye, but its gone before you can focus on it. After a few seconds, you turn the corner as well, seeing Rose slightly more ahead of you than she was before. That's weird, you could've sworn you were just behind her.

The two of you continue, Rose beginning to ever so slightly outpace you, until she reaches the split in the corridor. She takes the right side as per your directions and slips away from your sight. It feels like it takes you twice as long to get there as it should've. You turn right once you reach the divide, and see her almost halfway to the end of the hallway. Either your eyes are acting up, or the walls are extending beyond their bounds, like every step you take is nullified as soon as you take it.

Your feet trod upon the concrete floor, the colorful decorations sprinkled along the dark gray walls twisting and bending as you pass them. Rose has already reached the end of the corridor, and the door to Jade's bedroom is wide open. The world is starting to spin, but you force yourself forward, determined to give yourself a proper sendoff before reaching the end.

Your left shoulder brushes against the wall, the rough surface barely even connecting. Funny, it feels like that should've hurt. Your head slowly turns to your goal, and just as you begin to move again, you hear a noise. It's somehow both distant and nearby, like something really quiet reached your ears from very close by. 

You catch a glimpse of the bed holding your body, far, far in the distance. It should be much closer, shouldn't it? You were almost there just a minute ago. The concrete floor below you scrapes against your shoes, your legs barely moving you forward. You don't think you can feel your toes anymore.

You hear the sound again, irritating and worrying. There's something familiar about it, like you've heard it dozens and dozens of times before. It's difficult to make out, given how muffled everything has become. You inch forward, the blobs in the distance just beginning to move. It looks like one is almost getting bigger, but it's all starting to blur together now. The grays, blues, greens, and purples all colliding and merging, turning your sight into a collage of nothing in particular.

There's the sound again, for the third time. Your ears are starting to fail you, but you think you can finally piece together what it reminds you of. It's like there's someone coughing nearby. 

Oh. 

The realization almost makes you panic, but it's not like your heart-rate could go any faster anyways. 

As blood begins to dribble down your chin, soaking your god-tier shirt, you stop. You don't think you can move forward anymore. Your body isn't responding to you, and time has slowed down to a crawl. Through your blurry vision, the end of the hallway fuses into one singular, harsh light at the end of this mess of twisting and turning. It hurts to look at.

Looks like this is it.

You're dying.

Your weight presses against the wall, just barely keeping you upright. It occurs to you that you never got to see Kanaya, and you missed out on giving Rose a proper goodbye. When was the last time you saw Jade? It feels like you haven't talked to her in months. It kind of has been that long, in a way.

You really wanted to see her one last time. It hurts that you never got that chance, and it hurts even more that it's almost entirely your own fault. She deserves a better sibling than you. Not that that's a high bar to pass.

You can't feel your hands anymore. You doubt you could move anything now if you tried. The support from the wall is only just barely keeping you upright. This isn't really where you thought things would end, but here you are. Your final moments are here, right now, with your loved ones too far away to see you, or hold your hand, or to tell you they love you. You’ve completely missed your chance, and your opportunity to lay down and slip away peacefully with Roxy and Callie is gone.

You can't find it in you to cry. Only a deep, incredible sadness seems to come to you. That's strange. Didn't you already accept this? How can you be having second thoughts now, on the verge of oblivion? It's already way too late to have regrets. This is just how things were meant to go.

You hate it. You hate this indescribable, terrible feeling of inevitability, like you're destined to die a sad, lonely piece of garbage. It won't go away, and it's only getting stronger. Is this really it? 

You think back to everything that led up to this. All your thoughts, all your actions, all your decisions. All your choices. It only makes sense that you could have averted this entire situation. It is your fault that you're feeling like this. It is your fault that you've been backed into a corner with nowhere to go, nothing to do but die.

You don't think you want that.

You don't want to die.

What do you want, then?

You want another chance.

You don't want to make all the same stupid mistakes you've made in the past. You don't want to ruin everything good about your life. You don't want to distrust and suspect your friends and family for nothing. 

You want to have faith in them. You want to have hope that things will get better, that they can and will help you. You want to place your confidence in your friends. You want to make life better, not just for the people close to you, but for everyone else too. 

You want so desperately to have the time to find something worth living for. You want to give yourself that chance. Not some different you, a you that you've never known who inevitably takes your place after you're gone. This you. You want to fix everything you've broken with your own two hands, and then build something better on top of it.

You want to do things better next time.

You want to live.

I want to live.  


Someone calls out for you. Your weight shifts, and you fall.

You're dead before you hit the ground.


	11. Day 6 (Part 1)

All that surrounds you is darkness. An infinite expanse of pitch black from which all light is sucked in and terminated. It's pulling you in from all sides, every angle, threatening to tear you apart should your consciousness slip. Your will is the only thing that keeps you in one piece, one place. It's all you can do to stay where you are, unmoving, lest the terrible force surrounding you tear you into a thousand separate pieces.

Your grip is shaky. There's a feeling you cling to, that you don't want to let go, though you don't know what that feeling is, exactly. Only that you don't want to lose it, that you're scared what might happen if you lost it, what you'd be without it. This one feeling keeps you together amidst the chaos that envelops you, pokes holes in your being every second that goes by.

And so you wait to be torn apart, ripped asunder by the inescapable, ever present blackness. There is nothing here but whatever you are, and everything else.

You are alone, and there is nothing you can do about it. Your fate is to stay here, curled in a ball, your paper thin defenses gradually whipped away. There is nothing to think, and nothing to feel, other than what you already do. And so, you shut everything out, and press inwards. You delve inside yourself, the depths within unexplored until now. 

The terror of the turbulent darkness gradually falls away, and the only thing remaining is a calm, blue mist. You dive deeper, the color becoming stronger as you go. There is no descent, nor is there ascension, only the tense deepening of the mist. The air gets warmer, hazier, until the only thing you can perceive is what's right in front of you. 

A face, reminiscent of a person. Their features remain indistinct, ever changing. There is no determining who or what they are, only that they are looking at you, focusing completely on you. Their mouth moves, and the words that come out are nonexistent. The things they say swim through the air, moving this way and that, never once touching you. Always moving away.

But then the words get closer, the miasma of the mist clearing just enough for something to reach. Only a single statement, but it strikes you like they're the first words you've ever heard in your life.

I shouldn't have to tell you how beautiful you've become.  


An indescribable surge of emotion washes over you, and the mist shifts. The face is changed to another, though the features are just as incomprehensible as they were before. The eyes seem to be obscured by something, but before you can focus on anything in particular, they speak, the words carrying a weight that you thought was impossible.

Do you really think this feeling is going to go away?  


Another wave of feelings engulfs you, nearly drowning you with its force. Yet, you remain still, watching the strange face of the nonexistent person in front of you shift into something equally as inscrutable as before, if not more so. The strength and confidence of the sounds that come from their mouth wrap around you, like a blanket has just been lovingly donned on your back.

It's ok to rely on others. It's ok to rely on us.  


They make you want to do something, go somewhere, talk to someone. The feeling slips away just as the features on the thing in front of you morphs into the face and body of another, the shape and demeanor utterly alien compared to its previous visage. There's a forlorn chitter that reaches you, emanating from what counts as a mouth on this form.

I don't want yoU to lose oUt on something better than I ever had.  


After every little sentence joins into you, despite being devoid of context, they all connect. The shift happens faster this time, back to the ever changing collage of shapes and features. You barely have time to process what you've already heard before another sentence launches itself at you.

Don't Make Us Worry About You Like That Ever Again  


You're beginning to find the words to describe the feelings you've been dealt. The singular word that rises to the surface of your mind after what you've just heard is "guilt". It changes again, tearing away the awful tension that had gripped you only seconds ago. The mouth opens once more.

ur gonna b gone  
and i like this u  


A pang of affection to a person you can't place pierces you, spreading to the rest of your essence. These are starting to feel familiar, like you've heard them a long time ago, before the infinite chaotic darkness came to surround you. 

Again, they change, and again, a piece of yourself is picked up when they speak. The swirling, deep blue haze surrounding you starts to clear, the pressure from outside the depths of your mind lessening ever so slightly. The feelings come back, and with them, more memories. With more memories come more feelings, and your consciousness slowly, painfully, lovingly, comes back to you, though your own identity eludes you.

You can recognize the people you see now. Their habits, their interests, their mannerisms, the things you share with them. The things you've done with them, the things you've told them, and all of the things they've told you. All of it is important to you in some way, all of it shaped you to be whoever you are right now, at this very moment. 

But there's someone missing. Maybe they aren't the most crucial to you, or the most impactful, or the most relevant, but you still need them to complete yourself, to put together the puzzle that releases you. Right now, at this very moment, nothing is more important than remembering them. 

The thick blue haze has shifted into a swirling, heavy wind, moving you and the ever changing faces all around. You move this way and that, your mind becoming more clear and your existence more real than it ever has been, but you can't leave. Not yet, not without them. You try and push deeper, delving down more layers than you've been down before, so far deep your connection to the outside of yourself becomes strained. 

Finally, when you get so far down you can't bear it any longer, there is something. A way of speaking, a type of person you could never replace, an existence so crucial you couldn't do without them.

I'm here. I'll help. You don't have to do any of this alone. You don't have to worry anymore.  


And you're pulled out, the darkness finally receding.

\-----

You're awake. You're not sure how long you have been, but you've only realized it just now. Your eyes are open, and you're laying down on a bed of some kind. The pillow your head is resting on feels particularly flat, but as much as you'd like to sit up, your body feels incredibly exhausted for some reason. You're no longer dressed in your godhood, instead wearing something similar to what you'd normally be wearing these days. You move your eyes around in an attempt to observe your surroundings.

The place you find yourself in is red from top to bottom, with only slight metallic accents here and there. The only other color you can see is blue and white, which comes from the small circular windows on the walls to your left and right. The ceiling seems to curve down with the walls, and everything is somewhat reminiscent of those army dropship things you saw in a handful of movies. 

You slowly turn your head to the left, your eyes moving past a blob of color that's too complicated to focus on. You instead gaze out of one of the several windows, revealing the blue sky outside. The clouds seem to be below you, and moving past very quickly. You guess you are in a plane of some kind, most likely originating from Crockercorp, given the loud red coloring.

You spot out of the corner of your eye what looks like an iv drip connected to your left arm. You're only starting to piece together your circumstances, and a subtle but prevalent angst is poking around the inside of your brain, telling you to not think about things too much.

I can't really afford to ignore what's obvious anymore, though.  


There's an itch at the back of your head, and you slowly raise a hand to- Hold on, why do your hands feel so weird? You bring your right hand up to your face, and notice the white cloth wraps covering it. You peek at what you can see of your other hand, and sure enough, that one's wrapped up just the same. 

No way.  


You bring the covered up fingers of your right hand to the back of your head, and they brush against something strangely prickly, but not sharp. You carefully press against it, and the irritation of the itch grows. Are those…

Stitches?  


You rest your arm and center your head again, pressing the back of your head, closed-up injury and all, back into the pillow. Things have started to click back into place. You have no idea how this is possible, but you're in the body of the other you, and you remember everything. Your brain still feels a little fuzzy, but there's something you're pretty certain of. 

It's just a feeling, but you don't think you got out easy from what happened last time. You died, that much is for sure. It's either by luck or magic shenanigans you don't understand that you're alive right now. Probably a bit of both. There's the unmistakable sense that you've just cheated your way out of something, like you skirted the whole Choice that Callie presented to you. Or maybe that was what you were supposed to do the whole time? Who knows? Certainly not you.

A quiet sigh escapes you, and your eyes glaze over. Your throat is dry. Something feels off, like there's an extra layer to your surroundings that you can only slightly perceive.

It's like I'm thinking on top of myself.  


You don't recall this particular sensation of simultaneous connection and disconnection from yourself. Part of you wants to completely ignore the contradiction, but before you can push past it, a sound from the right corner of the room draws your attention. Your eyes focus on its source, and that same blob of colors you glanced past before now comes in clear as day.

Oh my god, it's Jade.  


She's sitting right there on a seat built into the wall, barely 10 feet away from you. Her eyes are closed and her head is slouched forward. The sound she's making is simply her growling in her sleep, only just louder than the hum of the engines outside. How did you not see her until now? 

There's so much I want to say to her. What do I start with that doesn't sound ridiculously irresponsible? "Hey Jade, you won't believe the week I've had!" God no, that makes me sound like a prick. Maybe, "What have you been up to?" No, that's worse, I know she's been busy saving my ass while I was out of it. Actually, that might've only been in the other timeline.   


No, she probably did the same thing here, given how out of it she looks. When was the last time she slept? You know she said she would help, but she should take care of herself first. She looks about as exhausted as you feel. You need to hurry up and finish this whole thing before you make people worry more than they already have. 

Given where you are and how things have progressed, you don't have to guess at your destination, which means you won't have to wait to do that for much longer. Now that you think about it, you don't really know where on Earth Jade's lab actually is. It's just never been something you've needed to worry about before, given how easy it's become to get from place to place. Right now, though, you're pretty annoyed at how inaccessible Jade made herself by conventional means of travel.

I'll have to ask her about that later, once this whole mess is behind us. I should've been paying more attention to her.  


You drag yourself away from your thoughts and focus instead on your sisters physical appearance. She's dressed in what looks like an inconspicuous black jacket and pants, with a white coat over it. It's not very clean, but not super dirty either, like your clothes are. You put together how long it's been since your body has been wearing this current outfit and almost gag at the realization. 

There's no way I could've woken up so soon after bleeding out for hours, and I've got a feeling I wouldn't have been able to wake up like this without my other body dying, which means it's been at least a full day since then. Probably. If I'm right, that means I've been wearing this same shirt and pants for nearly two and a half days, and I also haven't had a shower since the night before I put this on. I probably smell like crap.  


Not a whole lot you can do when you were at risk of going into a coma, you guess. You don't really feel like moving around, but you decide to force yourself to sit up so you can at least have a somewhat dignified conversation with Jade when she wakes up. 

Your back groans as you press your weight on your hands, slowly moving to an upright position, at least from your waist up. For some reason, despite only having been out of it for a couple days, it's harder to move around compared to when you woke up in the future last time. You almost breathe a sigh of relief when you remember you technically haven't fixed anything yet. At this point, you still have yet to take in your big angry shitstorm of an ascended consciousness, meaning the future is still uncertain.

It shouldn't be for long, though. You're almost certain you're headed to your house, since that's where the big storm thing is supposed to touch down first. Once you get there, you'll…

Man, what am I gonna do? Just like, swallow the whole thing, and everything is fine after that, or what? How is that gonna work? I guess I'll just worry about it when I get there. I don't know how close we are, and I want to talk to Jade at least once while I'm still me.  


Ugh, this double-thinking thing is still so weird, but I can't let it distract me. There's still stuff I don't know about, like where Rose and Kanaya are, so the only thing left to do is wake Jade up.  


You look over at your sister. She seems just as out of it as she did when you first saw her. You almost don't want to wake her up, but you don't really have a choice. Now that you're sitting upright, you clear your throat, and call out to her.

JUNE: Hey Jade?  


Your voice comes out raspy, but loud enough to make her stir. It takes a moment for her eyes to open, and another moment for her to turn towards you before finally noticing how awake you are. She stares at you for a moment, mouth slightly agape, before bounding across the small space between the two of you and catching you in a hug so tight it threatens to crush you. 

You try to let out a sound of protest, but the sudden lack of air in your lungs prevents you from doing so. Fortunately, Jade pulls back soon after, and launches into a flurry of worried questions.

JADE: Oh my god! June, you're awake! How are you even- whatever, it doesn't matter. Are you ok? Does anything hurt? What's the last thing you remember?   
JUNE: *cough* Hi Jade. It's good to see you too.  
JADE: Ok, yeah, I'm glad you're awake, but I need you to answer me! Is anything wrong?  
JUNE: Well, it's kind of hard to move, but I think that's just because I've been unconscious for two days.  
JADE: Anything else?   
JUNE: Um, no, I don't think so.  


Her green eyes stare right into you, like they're looking for anything at all that could be wrong with you, anything that might be amiss. For quite a while, you've been convinced that your demise was something that would simply have to happen, and after that, that things would turn out fine even if one version of you did die. You consider for the first time that someone may not have seen it the same way that you do.

JUNE: Were you worried about me?  
JADE: Of course I was!!!   
JADE: How could I not be worried! I didn't know what was happening, and neither did anyone else really, but everyone was just acting like you were ok for some reason! I know they didn't see you puking your guts out like I did, but things were seriously bad!   
JADE: There was another you from the future or something, and she died! She died right outside my bedroom, why didn't Rose or Kanaya care about that?? They were just acting like it wasn't anything to worry about, even though it was definitely something awful!  
JADE: In fact, I know they were just pretending! They were obviously upset, but the two of them just kept on doing what they were doing, like there wasn't a fresh June corpse nearby!  
JUNE: Hey, that's not-  
JADE: And!! And, I had to teleport all those doctor people with all their stupid heavy doctor equipment so they could make you better! And even after that, you still didn't wake up, even though we had those really creepy medical notes on you! I thought,  
JADE: I thought I was too late, I thought you were already gone, and even though you had told me everything, and trusted me to help you, I was going to completely fail to do the one thing I told you I would do. I thought...  
JADE: I thought I was going to lose you all over again.  


There are tears now, falling from her reddening face onto the bed. She's clutching the ends of her jacket, her body noticeably shaking.

JUNE: Woah, hey! It's ok Jade, I'm alright, see? I'm fine!  
JADE: No, it's not ok!   
JADE: Maybe you are fine, but what if you weren't? What if I had been too late, and you had died, with no other June to replace you? You would've been gone forever!   
JADE: And what would I have to show for it? Some online chats we had when we were kids, and a few years where I barely talked to you in person after we became adults? A couple birthday parties?  
JADE: I wasted so much time fucking around wrapped up in my own isolation, that I forgot I could just TALK to you!  
JUNE: That's-  
JADE: I don't think I called you even once between your twentieth birthday party and your coming out party! I had all this time, so much time that I could've spent doing literally anything with you, and I completely fucking wasted it!!  
JADE: And it's not like I didn't see what was happening. I saw you drifting away, keeping to yourself, and I didn't do anything! I just let you struggle by yourself cause I was selfishly worked up over my own shit! Rose didn't do that, and Dave didn't do that! They knew exactly what was going on with you, they helped you put together your party, and what was I doing? Nothing! I found out the same time everyone else did!  
JUNE: It's not like we were trying to exclude you or anything! If we didn't have the party, I would've told you!  
JADE: I know! I know you weren't trying to do that, you didn't do anything wrong. It was my own fault I wasn't there for you.  
JUNE: Hey, it's not like you did anything different to anyone else! Everyone was busy with their own stuff, and I was too stupid to reach out on my own.   
JADE: That doesn't make it any better! It just means I was as bad as everyone else!  


You're stunned. You had no idea Jade was so torn up about any of this. How did you not notice how she was feeling? Of course she would feel bad about being excluded and kept out of the loop. How could you be so careless?

What the hell was I thinking?  


You swing your legs over the bed and move yourself into a standing position. You realize immediately that you're about to crumble under your own weight, and begin to hover just slightly so you can maintain eye level with Jade. She's still crying, and you reach out a hand to her. Before you can make contact with her, your vision flickers a bright green, and after you blink, she's gone.

For a second, there's a faint static in the air, like Jade had left an electric afterimage that only you could pick up on. You stand in place, unable to put together a coherent thought, your body and mind already too tired to keep up with what's just happened. Before you get a chance to contemplate further than the mere notion that your sister might be upset with you, something takes your attention.

There's a buzzing coming from the ground a few feet in front of you. A quick look reveals a phone laying face down on the floor. You walk over and pick it up, noting the colorful stickers stuck to the back of it. 

This is probably Jade's. Maybe she dropped it when she jumped over here? Whatever, who's even calling?  


You flip the phone around to reveal the screen, and a small picture of a selfie Jade took with Dave is accompanied by his name right below it, giving you your answer. You consider not picking up for a moment before deciding that that would be a bad idea. You'd really rather not be left alone with your thoughts right now. A quick tap of the screen is all it takes to answer Dave's call.

DAVE: Hey Jade how's it going  
DAVE: Don't wanna be a stick in the mud or get in your shit or anything but would you mind giving me some info on that whole surprise peekaboo act you just pulled  
DAVE: Not like I'm against you dropping in unannounced even though a bit of a warning would've been pretty sweet  
DAVE: Kinda got the feeling your whole face being wet with tears like someone dunked your head in the sink or some shit was probably not good   
DAVE: So mind telling me what that was about  
JUNE: Hi Dave.  
DAVE: June what the fuck  
DAVE: You're awake  
DAVE: And also stole Jade's phone I guess  
DAVE: Is that why she was bawling her eyes out or is that a completely unrelated thing  
DAVE: Or was that just the straw that broke the camel's back and you just unwittingly released the natural disaster that is an upset Harley onto the world  
DAVE: If that's the case I have to say that was really not cool but you probably didn't mean to anyways so I guess don't worry about it  
DAVE: Except maybe do worry about it cause your friend/sister being upset is just a bad thing in general  
DAVE: Also are you still there or am I just talking to the ghostly blue apparition of a June Egbert gone by  
JUNE: Yeah, sorry, you said she was with you?  
DAVE: Nope  
DAVE: She popped in here for all of two seconds before popping right back out   
DAVE: Girls got places to be and shit to do  
DAVE: The first place probably being her lab out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere  
DAVE: Seriously that place is legitimately as far away from civilization as possible  
DAVE: Like I'm pretty sure she's living out on mount Kilimanjaro or some shit  
DAVE: And the shit she's got to do is, if you can believe it, to bawl her eyes out in said lab in the middle of nowhere  
DAVE: Speaking of   
DAVE: What's the deal with that  
JUNE: Man, I don't even know. I think she's mad at me, but I could be wrong. It sounded like she was upset about a lot of different stuff.  
DAVE: Yeah I imagine seeing you dead in her hallway wouldn't have made her too happy   
DAVE: Fuck you probably didn't know that happened forget I said that  
JUNE: No, I know about that.  
DAVE: Oh ok  
DAVE: Wait no not ok  
DAVE: When did you wake up  
JUNE: Oh, like, ten minutes ago?  
DAVE: Oh my fucking god are you serious  
DAVE: I've been trying to put this whole wack ass situation together from my couch cause nobody is telling me or Karkat fucking anything and you've been in a mini-coma for like two days and you somehow are just as up to speed if not more than me  
DAVE: I know you're probably blitzed out on whatever miracle drug they used to keep you alive but can you try to get me in on all of that cause I seriously have no idea what's going on aside from whatever miscellaneous facts I've figured out myself  
JUNE: Yeah, just uh, give me a second. I need to think for a bit.  


You pull the phone away from the side of your face before you can hear whatever joking remark Dave is making. You sit down on the medical bed you had been resting in until recently, spotting something as you do. It looks like the end of the thing that was connected to the iv bag a minute ago. 

You glance at your left arm and notice the small spot where blood has been slowly flowing out of. Guess you must have torn it out when you got up without realizing it. That seems like the kind of thing you should have noticed, but it somehow slipped by you. You don't really feel like patching it up, and it doesn't seem that bad, so you decide to ignore it.

You look around the room you're in, absorbing some more details than you had before. There's a door on the wall behind you, presumably leading to the rest of the plane you're on. It's just as red as the rest of the walls, though there is a small glass window at eye level. For some reason, it didn't even occur to you that there might be a way out that doesn't involve teleportation of some kind, despite how ridiculous that notion is.

What was I supposed to be doing? Dave asked me to tell him stuff, and then I said I needed to think. Why did I say that? I know all the stuff there is to know about this, besides-  


Besides that one thing that you don't really want to think about right now. What else was there? Right, Jade is upset. That's way more pressing than whatever nonsense you were about to consider. It's a big problem that Jade just flipped out like that. Why did she do that? You can't even remember half of the stuff she said to you, which is making this more difficult than it should be.

Let's see-

DAVE: JUNE  


A voice from the phone takes your attention away from your train of thought. You put it back up to your ear and answer Dave's shouting.

JUNE: Dave?  
DAVE: Jesus christ I thought you were never gonna answer  
DAVE: Thought you'd conked out again while trying to think too hard like your brain just blue-screened cause of a lack of memory   
JUNE: Oh yeah, that's what I was doing. I was trying to remember what Jade said to me, cause I actually couldn't remember some of it, even though it just happened.  
DAVE: Ok yeah Jade's temper tantrum is something we need to figure out but that's kind of besides the point and also not what I asked you about  
DAVE: Remember the whole part where you know what's going on and I don't except for some things   
JUNE: Oh right, that.  
DAVE: Yes that now mind blowing the whistle on this whole operation or do I have to get all watergate on you  
JUNE: All what on me?  
DAVE: Look the point is I want you to tell me what's going on  
JUNE: Oh yeah, sure.  
JUNE: Where should I start?  
DAVE: Well first I already figured out that that you're sick because you completely suck at keeping shit like that under wraps  
DAVE: Second I know there were two Junes one of which was from the future but she's dead now so we're back to one June  
DAVE: Not too sure how your freaky retcon powers play into doomed timelines but I'm almost like 100% sure she came from one so no big deal there we're basically back to normal  


Something about the way he said that rubs you the wrong way, but you're too busy trying to keep up with him to figure out why.

DAVE: Third that helmet you gave Terezi was important for some reason cause she started acting real fuckin weird after she listened to whatever was on it  
DAVE: Weirder than normal obviously  
DAVE: Also I'm talking about the other June not you cause obviously you didn't do that  
DAVE: Pretty difficult to get shit done when you're unconscious as it turns out  
JUNE: No, I did do that.  
DAVE: Well yeah it was technically you that did that but not like this you  
DAVE: C'mon June how have you not figured out alt selves and all the annoying shenanigans that come with them  
DAVE: Actually I guess you never really had to deal with that like everyone else did so it kinda makes sense that that whole thing would've gone over your head  
JUNE: Well, no, I do understand all that stuff. I mean I was actually the one that did that stuff, like give the helmet to Terezi.   
JUNE: Like, I zapped into your living room when the four of you were watching a movie in the dark, and you were talking about a lawyer or something.  
DAVE: Ok yeah I believe you   
DAVE: Does this mean you're the June from the other timeline and it was the original June that died  
JUNE: No, I'm also the original June. I've been out of it for like, over two days.  
DAVE: Ok so  
DAVE: What the fuck   
DAVE: I suddenly understand jack shit  
JUNE: Yeah so, I don't really know either? Like, I came back from the future, did some stuff, talked to Callie and Roxy for a while,  
DAVE: When did that happen  
JUNE: In two weeks? Or, uh, two weeks minus two days.  
DAVE: Got it  
JUNE: So then, I came back, teleported Rose and Kanaya to Jade's lab cause that's where past me was bleeding out. They fixed me up with stitches and stuff, so that's good.  
JUNE: Or, wait. The picnic happened after I got there, and I came back after that.  
DAVE: Are you fucking serious you were having a goddamn picnic while your past self was bleeding out and unconscious   
JUNE: No! That was what I did with Callie and Roxy two weeks in the future.  
DAVE: Ok great glad you got your priorities in order   
JUNE: Thanks.  
JUNE: So, I came back, and then when I tried to go to where Kanaya was, I  
JUNE: I, uh  
JUNE: I-  


That's weird. You remember what happened, so why are you having trouble saying it?

JUNE: *ahem*  
JUNE: I…  
JUNE: Died.  
JUNE: And, uh,  
JUNE: Now I'm not dead anymore?  
DAVE: Fucking  
DAVE: What  
JUNE: Yep.  
DAVE: So you're from the future and once your shitty future body died you somehow became not dead and also woke up in your past self's body  
DAVE: Do I have that right  
JUNE: Yes?  
DAVE: That's not too different from our usual bullshit so honestly I can't even act all that surprised  
DAVE: Hey at least you're not dead anymore  
JUNE: Yeah.  
JUNE: I guess.  
DAVE: You guess  
JUNE: Yeah?   
DAVE: Why do I get the feeling you are not as hyped to be not dead as you probably should be  
JUNE: What do you mean?  
DAVE: Come on June  
DAVE: Don't make your best bro do this whole circular conversation garbage where we both know what's going on and it takes us like fifteen minutes to get to the shit we should've been talking about the whole time  
JUNE: Um.  
DAVE: I'm more or less caught up now so now that that's out of the way  
DAVE: Is this something we need to talk about or are you just being moody on account of post-resurrection jitters  
JUNE: This is really not that important, so I don't think we need to talk about it. Seriously.  
DAVE: See June  
DAVE: This is what I'm talking about  
DAVE: You are just fucking godawful at making people not aware of your problems  
DAVE: Shit is plain to see to any common stooge walking by like your brain is on display in a mediocre shopping mall  
DAVE: So what's it gonna be June are you gonna tell me what's what or are you gonna keep acting like there isn't some shit going on here  


You throw the phone at the wall as hard as you possibly can, and the impact shatters it. The pieces clatter to the metal floor, mingling in with the quiet sounds of the engines outside. After a moment of realization, you press your hands against your face, covering your eyes.

Why the fuck did I do that?? I could've just pressed the end call button, what the hell is wrong with me? Dave wasn't even saying anything wrong, I just really hated what he was making me think about. I don't know why that is either, but there's nothing I can do about it now. The phone is broken, and I don't have anything else on me.  


You can't stop thinking about the last thing he said to you. Your conversation is unfinished, and his words are replaying inside your head, refusing to go away.

Am I acting like there's nothing going on? I'm not, right? There's tons of crazy stuff happening, and I was pretty honest about all of it. Ok, I forgot to tell him about the whole Ultimate Self thing, but I only like, half understand that. I would probably just make him confused if I tried to explain it.   


Stray thoughts about your situation bounce around in your head, and a stinging pressure at your temples prevents you from thinking about things clearly. Before you even realize it's there, a headache has manifested, and you hide your closed eyes behind your hands in an effort to lessen the pain. It doesn't do much.

What the fuck am I doing?   


The image of the corkboard you set up in your room pops into your mind. All the strings and pictures, the connections and notes you made on your friends, everyone except for Vriska and Terezi.

Did I seriously think it was those two that made all that terrible shit happen? How the hell did I even make that connection in the first place? God, what a dumb mistake. I was so ready for something awful to happen that I pointed at the first new thing in months and just assumed that was what I was worried about.   


They didn't even do anything, and I was so fucking sure it was them! Like, oh hey Terezi is back with her girlfriend, that must be why everything sucks eventually! What the fuck? I was so distracted by my own garbage that I couldn't even be happy they were finally back, after like three whole years. I'm a terrible friend.  


The consequences of your actions isn't what's bothering you right now. Sure, you're in a pretty bad way at the moment, but it's not like anyone actually dislikes you, really. Probably.

Besides Jade, maybe.  


It's more that you let your emotions take hold of you and made you assume something terrible about your friends, despite a complete lack of evidence. Yeah, you're really not proud of that. Those two don't even know you did that, but you still feel like you should apologize to them, even though that would probably be really weird.

Whatever. Add them to the list, I guess. How many people do I have to do something for now? Basically everyone. Fantastic. I'm lucky they put up with any of my crap for as long as they have.  


Now that I think about it, why DO they put up with me? I've pretty much been kidding myself about knowing what anyone is like at all, so I just shouldn't assume anything. I've been nothing but a problem for the past week, and even before that, I always got the feeling like they only let me hang out with them begrudgingly, like they're too nice to actually turn me down. That's what it felt like, anyways.  


The realization that they did actually turn you down a handful of times is quickly packaged up and shipped as far away from your current train of thought as possible.

So what is it, then? If it's not how I'm acting, and it's not what I'm doing for them, then what's the reason? I'm nothing but an annoying weirdo that I'm sure they just want to forget about, so why the hell do they try to tolerate me?  


Several possible reasonings are brought to the front of your mind, and you ponder the one that seems the most likely.

Is it about how long they've known me? That might explain why it's been so hard to make time with the alphas. They've known me the least amount of time, only a few years, really. Everyone else has been talking to me for a lot longer than that. Is that it? They feel bad for someone they've known since they were kids, and it would be too awkward to tell me they don't like me anymore?  


But if that's it, then what was that whole thing with Rose and Kanaya a few days ago? Were they just messing around, and they don't actually like you at all? 

You suddenly don't want to think about any of this at all.

And yet, here you are, thinking about it.

\-----

Kanaya Maryam walks past where her wife is sitting, and after a certain amount of steps, turns around and moves past her again. By Rose's count, this is the eleventh time Kanaya has made a full lap from one end of the cabin to the other. Rose considers not for the first time that the red walls and white reclining seats make for a nice contrast to Kanaya's usual red and black attire. In fact, if she wasn't so occupied by the same thing that's making her wife anxiously pace back and forth, Rose would be content to read her book and admire how stunningly beautiful she looks, despite how frequently already does that.

The cabin is connected by one end to the cockpit, where the Crockercorp contracted pilots are presumably doing their job. The other end of the cabin connects to the storage compartment, which is where the "luggage" is located. Rose considers that its a bit insensitive to refer to someone who was on death's door less than twenty four hours ago as luggage, but it's the loophole Jane is using to transport June without charge.

Kanaya made her complaints known that there was no need to shove her in the back like that since Jane could easily afford the extra ticket. It went without saying that she also could have simply ordered the flight to happen regardless, but all three of them know what a stickler for following rules Jane has become. So, June is back there while Rose and Kanaya are in here. 

The two of them trusted Jade to keep an eye on her, but they know that was just an excuse for her to finally catch some sleep after the hell she's been through. Rose considers the last time she was awake for longer than forty eight hours, and decided to let Jade have her well deserved rest. Kanaya was adamant about also keeping watch over June, but after she was filled in by Rose, she relented.

The four of them have been in the air since this morning, and not much has changed since then. After Kanaya's twentieth consecutive lap, she stops a few feet away from Rose and proposes an idea.

KANAYA: Perhaps I Should Check On Them  
ROSE: I'm sure they're exactly as unconscious as they were the last five times you decided to peek at them.  
KANAYA: Most Likely Yes  
KANAYA: But What If They Aren't   
KANAYA: There Is Always A Chance Something Has Gone Wrong Or One Of Them Has Woken Up  
ROSE: And, pray tell, what would you be willing to do if one of them was?   
KANAYA: I Am Not Saying That Something Has To Happen If That Is The Case   
KANAYA: But If That Is The Case Then We Will Know About It Sooner  
ROSE: I see. Then, would you mind letting me know your rationale for why this would benefit us in some way? You wouldn't be pacing back and forth whilst continually glancing at the door to the luggage room without some logical reasoning, surely.  
KANAYA: Well Of Course   
KANAYA: Who Do You Take Me For  
KANAYA: The First Of Several Reasons I Have Is That Of An Overreliance On Human Machinery  


Rose slips a fanciful bookmark between the pages of her book and closes it, turning completely to Kanaya.

KANAYA: We Were Told By Jane That An Alarm Would Sound If There Were To By Any Mechanical Failures On The Part Of Her Garish Luxury Jet   
KANAYA: Yet I Can't Help But Suspect The Authenticity Of This Claim  
KANAYA: Intelligent As She Is I Have To Wonder About What Constitutes As A Failure To Her Seeing How Adamant She Was About Relegating Her Biological Descendant To What Amounts To A Storage Shed  
KANAYA: I Still Can't Find A Legitimate Reason For Her To Do That Given How Easily She Could Fund One Additional Ticket  
KANAYA: But I Digress  
ROSE: I suppose I'll have to agree with you on this particular point. What's your second?  
KANAYA: I'll Say This Plainly  
KANAYA: There Is Pretty Much No Way Jade Is Currently Anything Other Than Asleep  
KANAYA: And While She Definitely Deserves To Rest I Recall Us Giving Her The Duty Of Keeping An Eye On June  
KANAYA: Which As You May Have Already Known Might Be Difficult To Do In One's Sleep  
ROSE: I thought we were both in silent agreement that this was acceptable.  
KANAYA: We Were But I Have Since Come To The Conclusion That It Is Not The Best Idea To Leave Our Seriously Ill Matesprit In The Arms Of A Lone Exhausted Woman With No Other Medical Staff Present  
ROSE: Well, we didn't really have the option to bring all of the various doctors Jade brought over on the plane with us.  
ROSE: And you know I would tell you if I sensed something was amiss with either of those two.  
KANAYA: Of Course  
KANAYA: But The Amount Of Innate Information You've Gleaned Is Not All There Is To Know As I'm Sure You're Aware  
KANAYA: Something Could Easily Slip Through The Cracks And Upset An Already Fragile Situation  
KANAYA: Which Leads Into My Third Point  
KANAYA: On The Admittedly Unlikely Chance That June Does Wake Before Jade  
KANAYA: If She Does At All  
KANAYA: I Believe She Will Be Very Confused And Unequipped To Deal With Her Unfamiliar Situation  
KANAYA: And It Would Be Very Helpful To Have Someone Nearby That She Trusts Who Can Calmly Explain Things To Her In A Way That Her Addled Brain Could Easily Understand  
KANAYA: I Am Also Still Somewhat Unsettled By How The Alternate June's Soul Visibly Escaped Her Body A Mere Twenty Or So Feet Away From Us Two Days Ago  
KANAYA: There Are Multiple Factors Present That Nobody Really Has Any Idea About That Might Have An Effect On Current Events  
KANAYA: That Being One Of Them  


Kanaya takes a breath before concluding.

KANAYA: I Suppose That's It  


Rose seems to contemplate what she's just heard, giving her chin a very exaggerated scratching while raising an eyebrow.

ROSE: These seem less like sound logical reasonings and more like justifications to sate your anxiety, though I will concede that there is, at the very least, a deal of truth to all three of them.  
KANAYA: I Am Not Hearing A Rebuttal  


Rose lets out a very purposeful sigh and shakes her head, a hand artfully placed her cheek to maximize the sense of exasperation she projects.

ROSE: I'm afraid I have no rebuttal to give, dear. I've simply been bested by your incredible skills in speech, and nothing I could say now would hold any ground whatsoever.  
ROSE: Not to mention the amount of charisma you exude would render a lesser woman incapable of uttering anything more than incoherent babbling. It's a miracle I'm even able to form thoughts given my close proximity to you.  
ROSE: Truly, the day is yours.  
KANAYA: Thank You Very Much  
KANAYA: Both For The Incredibly Accurate Praise But Also For the Admission Of Clear Defeat  
KANAYA: Now If You'll Excuse Me I Have A Pair Of Unconscious Women To Stare At  
KANAYA: I'll Be Back After A Completely Normal And Inconspicuous Amount Of Time  
ROSE: I hope you have a similarly normal and inconspicuous amount of fun.  


Without another word, Kanaya turns and begins to walk towards the luggage room. It only takes her a couple seconds to arrive at the door. Careful not to lean against it in case it makes some sort of noise, she brings her face right up to the window in the door. 

The only sources of illumination in the tiny room are the small circular windows along either wall. The clouds outside seem to have gotten thicker and darker, making it difficult to see inside. It takes her a few seconds to scan the room, and she perks up in surprise at what she sees. No sign of Jade, a broken phone, and June, awake as can be. She's sitting on top of the makeshift patient's bed, face in her hands. 

Kanaya stares in disbelief for a moment, but quickly catches herself and makes a split second decision. She slowly opens the door and steps towards June, mentally preparing herself to actually follow through on her third point to Rose. June appears to not have noticed her, and Kanaya notices the disconnected iv drip, as well as the thin line of blood that's running down June's left arm.

She reaches out a hand to June, but quickly retracts it. A few seconds pass by with Kanaya considering what the best course of action would be. After a moment's deliberation, she opens her mouth to speak, a soft and quiet question reaching June.

KANAYA: June  
KANAYA: How Are You  


The sound catches June's attention, and she removes her hands from her face, revealing her eyes. A burst of anxiety sprouts in Kanaya's stomach from the look June gives her. Blank, unfocused eyes, barely even seeing the person in front of them. Her face is still gaunt and her body is still weak, but she somehow looks a bit better compared to the last time Kanaya saw her. Her mouth is slightly agape, like she's forgotten it's there.

JUNE: Oh, Kanaya.   
JUNE: Hey.  


Kanaya glances at June's arm. It looks like the needle has been removed long enough for a scab to have formed, meaning there's no active bleeding. She realizes the line she saw was dried blood, and lets out a small sigh of relief. In the moment this took, June has looked away from Kanaya, but she quickly looks back to her once Kanaya starts to speak again.

KANAYA: June  
KANAYA: May I Ask How You're Feeling  
JUNE: Huh?  
KANAYA: I Understand You May Be Confused About What's Going On  
KANAYA: Such As Why We Are On A Jet And Why You Were Asleep In A Hospital Bed  
KANAYA: And I Will Tell You About Those Things But I Would First Like To Ask About Your Current State As I Believe That Takes Priority  
KANAYA: So I Will Ask Again  
KANAYA: How Are You Feeling  


June looks a little sullen for a second, but her expression quickly reverts back to nothing. 

JUNE: I already know about that stuff.  
KANAYA: You Do  
JUNE: Yeah.   
JUNE: Can I ask you a question?  
KANAYA: Of Course  
KANAYA: What Is It  
JUNE: Why is Jade mad at me?  
KANAYA: Why Is  
KANAYA: Oh Of Course That's How You Were Filled In  
KANAYA: Jade Must Have Let You Know The Situation  
JUNE: What?  
KANAYA: Pardon Me What Were You Saying About Her  
KANAYA: You Said She Is Upset With You  
JUNE: I think so.  


Kanaya breathes a sigh of relief. She knows this is the kind of thing she can easily deal with, and gently leads into the start of clearing up whatever misunderstanding this is.

KANAYA: Why Do You Think Jade Is Mad At You  
JUNE: I don't really know. I woke her up, and she started yelling about stuff, and I didn't even really hear half of it. It was so confusing.   
KANAYA: What Was Something You Did Hear From Her  
JUNE: I think she didn't like how there was another me that died. I guess I freaked her out without meaning to.  
JUNE: And she probably didn't like having to do all this stuff for me. It sounded like she was really tired.  


Kanaya sits down next to June, on her left side. It's immediately apparent to her how little padding there is in the bed. June's eyes don't follow her, instead only looking at the place where Kanaya used to be.

KANAYA: She Was Most Likely Very Upset And Tired From All Of That  
JUNE: Then…  
KANAYA: But I Doubt She Is Upset With You  
JUNE: Huh? But I thought-  
KANAYA: Did She Tell You How Long She Was Awake Before She Fell Asleep In This Uncomfortable Place  
JUNE: No.  
KANAYA: I Believe It Was Around Two Full Days  
KANAYA: During Which She Was Very Active And Did As Much As She Could To Ensure Your Health And Safety   
KANAYA: Moreso Than Anyone Else  
KANAYA: Her Own Personal Well Being Be Damned  
KANAYA: We Did Attempt To Convince Her To Rest After Twenty Four Hours Had Passed But At That Point Rose And I Were Too Exhausted Ourselves To Put Up Much Of A Convincing Argument  
JUNE: Two days. Wow.  
JUNE: That's,   
JUNE: A while.  
KANAYA: Yes   
KANAYA: Jade Was Just Very Unnerved And Irritable After All Of That  
KANAYA: I Don't Think She Meant To Take It Out On You  
KANAYA: Given Her Current Absence I Believe She Removed Herself Before She Could Say Anything She Would Regret  
KANAYA: All Of This Is To Say That Jade Is Not Mad At You At All  
KANAYA: Just Tired And Upset From The Past Few Days  
KANAYA: How Does That Sound To You June   
JUNE: Fine, I guess.  


Her tone indicates to Kanaya that she doesn't entirely believe her, but Kanaya decides to not press things. Before she can think of another question to ask June, Kanaya instead finds one thrown at her.

JUNE: Hey Kanaya.  
KANAYA: Yes June  
JUNE: Why do you like me?  


Kanaya blinks once, then twice in rapid succession. The swirl of stress that's been slowly building in her halts for a moment, and she responds in confusion.

KANAYA: I  
KANAYA: Am Not Entirely Sure How That Is Related  
JUNE: I've been thinking about it for a while.  
JUNE: The whole thing with, uh,  
JUNE: Us and Rose.  
JUNE: I'm trying to, like…  
JUNE: Piece it all together.  
JUNE: Add up all the reasons why it would make sense.  
JUNE: But I can't really figure it out.  
JUNE: Am I not just a problem for you and Rose? Why-  
JUNE: Why are you all doing this for me? I don't get it at all.  
JUNE: Like, I think I understand why everyone else would just be fine with letting go of me. I've been, uh, mostly fine with that.  
JUNE: There were just more important things going on.  
KANAYA: What Are You Talking About  
JUNE: I think that's why I was mostly fine with it?  
JUNE: Like, yeah, dying kind of sucks, but if I have to do it so everyone else can be happy, then I guess that's fine.  
KANAYA: Excuse Me  
KANAYA: You Remember  
JUNE: But, haha, that's the thing?  
JUNE: I was totally cool with it, the whole dying thing,  
JUNE: Like, if I gotta do it, I'll just do it. No biggie.  
JUNE: If it's gonna happen anyways, may as well make something good come from it, right?  
JUNE: I had this whole thing figured out, that I was doing something important, that was good for other people. I had really made up my mind.  


A bead of sweat has formed on the side of June's face, and she's begun to absentmindedly fidget with her hands. Kanaya notices that they're shaking.

JUNE: But then, hah, I got kind of distracted, and then,  
JUNE: Uh, and then, I changed my mind? Right at the last second.  
JUNE: Like, what's up with that, right?  
JUNE: You can't just decide that you weren't gonna die anymore, it doesn't really work like that.  
JUNE: So then, haha, I was standing there, wondering what was going on, blood coming out of my mouth,  
JUNE: And I was like,   
JUNE: Oh shit, maybe I don't wanna die after all!  
JUNE: Hahaha!  
KANAYA: I Fail To See The Humor In This Situation  
JUNE: But, see, I died anyways, hahaha!  
JUNE: Isn't that hilarious!  
JUNE: Hahahahahaha!  
KANAYA: June Please   
KANAYA: This Is Not Funny  
JUNE: But it is!  
JUNE: Hahaha!  
JUNE: Oh, and then, hehe, I was dead, right?  
JUNE: Like, not alive.  
JUNE: But I was still kind of a thing!  
JUNE: I didn't know my name, or who I was, or anything, hahaha!   
JUNE: It was pretty awful and I think I kind of hated it!  
JUNE: Its like, you can't complain now, didn't you sign up for this? How stupid can you get!  
JUNE: Hahahahahaha!  
JUNE: And then, and then,  
JUNE: I was alive again!  
JUNE: Wahoo! Good for me, right?  
KANAYA: Yes  
JUNE: But actually, hehehe, that's the kicker!  
JUNE: If I'm alive now, then what was even the point of all of that crap? I did all of that stuff for nothing! Haha!  


June's voice is stammering, and her eyes have glossed over. Her hands are balled into fists, and her mouth is turned at the edges into a half smile.

JUNE: I was thinking sooooo hard about if my life had any meaning, and how worthwhile it would be to sacrifice myself for a bunch of people who probably don't even like me that much, and how to avoid a bunch of terrible stuff happening, and what would be best for everyone else,  
JUNE: And I finally made my decision!  
JUNE: But psyche! I don't get to make choices!   
JUNE: Congrats buddy, you're right where you would be if you didn't do all that stuff anyways! Your death meant fucking NOTHING!  
JUNE: NONE OF THAT MATTERED AT ALL!!  
JUNE: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  


Her laughter fills the small room and bounces from wall to wall, hitting Kanaya's ears from every angle. Struck by indecision, Kanaya can only watch in shock as June's head turns downward, and the girl before her seems to be much farther away, despite neither of them moving. 

The click of a door handle distracts Kanaya, and she whips her head around to see Rose enter the room. 

ROSE: I heard something, is there-   
ROSE: Oh. June.  


At the mention of her name, June stops laughing, though the edges of her mouth are still turned up in a facsimile of a genuine smile. She lifts her head, seemingly unaffected by the new arrival. As Rose walks towards the two of them, June greets her with an unexpected vigor.

JUNE: Hey Rose!  
JUNE: Guess what I figured out? Everything I've done since I came out has been totally pointless! Isn't that funny!  
JUNE: Hahahaha!   


Rose looks to her wife, and upon seeing her plainly worried expression, comes closer to June, just a few feet away. The sudden movement surprises June enough for her laughter to stall, allowing Rose to speak clearly.

ROSE: June, please tell me what's wrong.  
JUNE: Nothings wrong!   
JUNE: I just made a bunch of stupid mistakes like usual and screwed some stuff up, but hey! It's not a big deal, cause most of those mistakes never even happened, haha!  
ROSE: But you remember them, don't you?   
JUNE: Hm? Remember what?  
ROSE: Your mistakes.  
JUNE: I, uh, yeah? Haha, why does it matter?  
ROSE: Because if you remember something, that means it happened to you. Just because your choices have been causally nullified doesn't mean you never made them in the first place.  
ROSE: And everything you've done affects you, right now. You are the one that has to live with the decisions you've made.  
JUNE: Haha, what're you…  
JUNE: I don't…  


Rose sighs and relaxes herself slightly. She's standing right in front of June, not intending to sit next to her. June's gaze is focused, now, on the person who's looking directly at her. The sudden clear attention makes her nervous, though she doesn't know why.

ROSE: Before I say anything else, I'd like to ask for clarification on something.  
JUNE: Oh, ok.  
ROSE: How much do you remember, exactly?  
JUNE: Like, from the future? Everything, I guess.  
ROSE: I see. In that case, why do you think none of your actions were important?  
ROSE: Because I can assure you, they are. Whatever consequences came from them, good or bad, are not yet lost.   
JUNE: But-  
JUNE: None of that ever even happened! They still don't matter, so it's fine.  
ROSE: Maybe in the grand scheme of things, they don't. Something that has technically never taken place can have no real effect on the world at large, not really.  
ROSE: But let me ask you a question, June.  
JUNE: Uh, ok?  
ROSE: If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it, did it make a sound?  
JUNE: Huh?  
JUNE: I, um. Yeah, I guess?  
JUNE: Even if nobody heard it, it was still a thing that happened.  
ROSE: Exactly. Even if there was nobody to observe an event, that event still took place.   
ROSE: The same thing applies here. Quite a few people saw a tree fall, including you, and you decided to turn back time to prevent the tree from ever falling in the first place.  
ROSE: Now, there is undeniable proof that the tree is still upright. It's plain for anyone to see.  
ROSE: But you heard it fall, even if nobody else did. We have two conflicting facts here, June.  
ROSE: Fact one is that you've witnessed an end to our world, or at least our way of life, at least once.  
ROSE: Fact two is that our world is still here, safe and sound. No fallen trees here.  
ROSE: So, which is incorrect? You having seen a terrible future, or our present being, for all intents and purposes, unharmed?  
JUNE: Well, I guess it would have to be the first one. Right?  


A slight smile emerges on Rose's face. Kanaya looks back and forth between the two, feeling the need to say something but unwilling to interrupt the flow of conversation.

ROSE: Not so.   
ROSE: Both of those things can be true at the same time.  
ROSE: Even if nobody else in the world remembered what you said and did in a reality that is no longer attainable, it's still just as real as the reality you're living in now.  
ROSE: All of that happened to you. And you're right here, with us, and so all of those things happened too.  
JUNE: What? But-  
JUNE: No! That doesn't make any sense! I undid all of that, so it basically never happened!  
ROSE: It might not make sense if you disregard your own impact.  
JUNE: What do you mean?  
ROSE: What I mean is, you have an effect on the world, whether you realize it or not. You can change things, even if only slightly, simply by continuing to live.  
ROSE: At the end of the day, you are a person that matters, and all of the things that affect you matter too.  
JUNE: But how? Just because I'm alive doesn't mean anything.  
JUNE: If all I do is undo the things I've already done, then how does that make a difference?  
JUNE: Isn't that the same as my life being worthless?  
JUNE: Its just how it is, even if it sucks.  
ROSE: And why do you think the things you do make no difference simply because you take them back? Why do you insist that your life has no meaning when you have people telling you it does?  
JUNE: Because it doesn't! It hasn't mattered in a long time!  
JUNE: Everything I do is either pointless or awful, and I'm just wasting every second I'm still alive!  
JUNE: What do you think I do when I'm not hanging around people or talking to someone? Not a fucking thing!   
JUNE: Every time I'm alone, I barely remember what I even do most of the time! I watch the same movies I'm sick of, walk around places I've seen thousands of times, and lay in bed until I fall asleep from boredom!  
JUNE: I've never done a single important thing in the almost five fucking years since we got here!   
JUNE: What the hell have I been DOING??  
JUNE: A fat load of fucking nothing!  
JUNE: I have a massive, endless eternity to do nothing at all!   
JUNE: So shouldn't I try to avoid all of that? Shouldn't I just get things over with while I can, while I have a way out?  
JUNE: Shouldn't I,  
JUNE: Shouldn't I just be-  


Rose clutches June's shoulders, and looks her dead in the eye. Her grip is soft, but firm. Tears have already started to fall from June's face, but Rose continues regardless.

ROSE: I know what the future is like, June.  
ROSE: Nothing concrete. Only notions here and there, assurances and the like.  
ROSE: But I know what things would be like without you, and I think you do too.  
ROSE: What I want is a world where all of us are safe, where we all have a chance to be happy. Absolutely nothing less than that.  
ROSE: And that world isn't possible without you.  
ROSE: In order to keep us safe, in order to make sure we're happy, you need to be there with us. You need to be alive and well. You need to be ok.  
ROSE: And I will settle for nothing less than that. There is not a chance in hell I am going to just let you slip away from us while you're right here in front of me.  
ROSE: I love you, June. I am going to love you until you are alright again, and I am going to continue to love you after that.  
ROSE: And part of loving you is being there for you when things are terrible. I am not going anywhere or doing anything until you feel well again.  
ROSE: Don't you remember what I told you, June? We're going to be there for you, whether you like it or not.   
ROSE: So you don't have to hold it in. You don't have to keep it all to yourself. You can say as much or as little as you need to to feel better. Anything you want to say, you can say it whenever you like.  
ROSE: Because nothing will change the fact that you deserve to be happy.   


June's eyes scrunch up, her face becoming red. A plain, ugly sobbing fills the room. Tiny spots where tears begin to fall pop up here and there on her shirt and on her pants, and she digs her fingers into her palms.

A gray hand is placed on top of June's fists, and she stops. Rose lets go of her, and June turns to Kanaya. Through blurred vision, she sees Kanaya with a reassuring smile directed at her. Kanaya's other hand reaches over and brushes the hair out of her face and the tears from her eyes. She cups June's cheek, and speaks in a tone full of assurance.

KANAYA: Regardless Of What You Might Think Of Yourself  
KANAYA: Your Friends Care For You  
KANAYA: We Care For You  
KANAYA: All Of Us Do  
JUNE: I know that. I KNOW that.  
JUNE: So why is it so difficult to just accept it?  
JUNE: It feels like I can't agree with you at all. It feels like you're lying to me when you say that, even though I know you're not.  
JUNE: Its not like I even have a good reason! There's just the feeling that no matter what anyone says or does, I won't ever be able to be happy. That I missed my one chance to die, and have it mean something, have it actually make a difference.  
JUNE: Even though I really, really didn't want to. At all.  
JUNE: Why is this so hard?  
JUNE: Why is it so…  


Kanaya brings June into an embrace, her head over Kanaya's shoulder. Kanaya wraps her arms around her, and says something in a voice so soft that only June can hear it.

KANAYA: You Don't Have To Believe Us  
KANAYA: You Don't Have To Believe That Things Will Get Better Or That You Are As Loved As We Say You Are  
KANAYA: Not Right Now  
KANAYA: Right Now You Only Have To Believe That One Day  
KANAYA: Eventually   
KANAYA: You Will  


The only thing June can do is sob, her mouth muffled by Kanaya's shoulder. Her eyes closed, the quiet sounds of weeping are only heard by the two next to her. She does not worry about what is to come, what is to happen next. The only thoughts running loose in her mind are those of guilt, and a relief so deep and immense that it threatens to crush her.

Her tears soak the fabric of Kanaya's shirt, mixing in with the black and vanishing from sight. A light hand grasps June's, and there is comfort just in knowing that it is there. The slightest nudge, any adjustment at all brings forth a new round of tears. Anything is too much for her, but she lets it happen, lets the tears fall as she embraces the overwhelming force of it all.

She knows neither of them would lie to her, and that knowledge is worming it's way into every crack, every crevice in her mind. Filling all the holes that have been chipped away by the solitude, by the emptiness, and by the stress. She knows that the two believe everything they've told her. Every statement meant to comfort her, every reassurance, and every undeserved compliment. They meant every word of it.

And so the tears continue, with no sign of stopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long. I took a break since I was on the verge of burning out, but I'm back in it now. The last few chapters will probably not take as long as this one, but I'm not going to rush things. They're only coming out when I'm done with em!
> 
> EDIT: I'm an idiot, my dumb adhd brain has forbidden me from working on this for now, so I will probably not get back to this for a while yet. I'm not just leaving it unfinished, but since I have no idea when I'll get back to it, I wont promise anything. Thanks for reading thus far, though!


	12. Day 6 (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez this chapter took a while. Glad to finally be done with it. Also, there is a ridiculous amount of talking that happens.

You finally have a moment to relax. After your emotional meltdown, which Rose and Kanaya helped you come down from, they took you to the main cabin, which was hilariously luxurious compared to where you woke up. After they were confident you were stable enough to be left alone, Kanaya directed you to the bathroom so you could have a moment to clean up and change.

This water is kinda hot.

You were a little surprised when Kanaya told you there was a fully equipped bathroom on this plane, with a shower and everything. It's small, but it works. You know she said you were all on a luxury jet which is obviously owned by either Crockercorp or Jane herself, but you didn't even know you could fit a full shower in a plane at all. 

You're not going to question it, though. Not like you have the energy for it even if you wanted to. Instead, you've just been standing here, letting the water fall over your back and run down your body. It didn't take you long to undress and enter the shower after you came in here. A sigh escapes you.

I really have made that into a bad habit.

Actually, maybe I was sighing a lot before all of this, and I just didn't realize it. Wouldn't be the first time I didn't pick up on something that's insanely obvious to anyone that isn't me.

Oh, well. 

There's no use worrying about something that small, anyways. Your mind is on different matters. You've been focusing more or less on what's happened since you woke up, and the conversation you had with Rose and Kanaya, if you can even call it that.

God, I was acting like such a fucking baby. All bawling my eyes out and everything, what even was that? 

It still seems unreal what they said to you. Somehow, even though your earlier exchanges with Jade and Dave resulted in you barely remembering what they actually said, the things your girlfriends(?) told you remain in your mind, sticking to your brain like glue.

Rose said she loved me.

That alone is already enough. You could sit on that one piece of information just by itself for the next week, but every other thing on top of that is just too much. Every time you try and just consider what's happened to you, it all comes back at once, and it overloads your brain.

And so, here you stand, body overly warm, shoulders hunched, jaw clenched, and not a single revelation or realization made. You've been in here, what, half an hour? It's hard to tell. You've had time enough to put it all aside and just move on, to set your sights to what's on the horizon.

But even that is so much more than what's already on your plate. You don't want to contemplate what comes after all of this for even a second, and so you don't. You come back to everything else, all the other little things that have piled up and become like a weight pressing down on you, and you're right back to square one. 

I should probably at least try to clean myself if I'm not doing anything else.

You begin to move your hands. You press them against yourself, here and there, just to see if you can remember how to use them again. It's like you're touching a stranger. Its all so alien to you, the light muscles here and there, the body hair that's just started to grow back from lack of shaving, the proportions that feel intrinsically unfeminine. The body you inhabit is not your own, in more ways than one.

It actually helps, if only a little. You are not cleaning the disgusting arms and legs of a person you were never meant to be. This is someone else. The fingers that run through this hair are those of an associate and their peer. Neither of them are you, even if you're the one moving the hands, and the one being cleansed. Even if this is technically your body.

But even that is not yours. The nerve endings embedded within this spine are borrowed from someone else who you were once upon a time. No, not borrowed. Stolen. Whoever was here is now gone, collapsed under the weight of your own self. The memories you carry were heavier than theirs.

The fingers that slide up and down this terrifyingly unfamiliar chest are moving without you. Like you're a spectator, witnessing the act of a particularly talented puppeteer. The hands move as if they're floating on invisible clouds, just hovering here and there, wiping away the grime and dirt. The filth that's been accumulating is washing away, though you're not sure of just how much.

It only occurs to you now that even if there were tears on this face, you lack the sense to know whether they came from you, or if they came from the showerhead. 

The sound of the water gradually, carefully slips away, leaving a lingering echo, a white noise that permeates your entire being. There is rain outside, coating the world beyond your skin in a blanket of water. It's almost graceful, the way it swims on this back, up and down these arms. There's an invisible layer separating you from it. You don't know if that is protection or stagnation.

Am I still here? Who is this?

The eyes you see through only show the blank white wall in front of you through half-open eyes. There's a degree of disconnection between what's right here, mere inches away, and you. It's terrifying, knowing you couldn't blink if you tried.

The hands and arms move all the while, cleaning anything in its range. It's hard to tell whether they're actually doing anything substantial. Just the fact they're moving at all is enough.

Are those mine? Do I control them?

You don't want to try. You don't want to interrupt the movements that are already in progress. If you dare to nudge them even an inch off course, they might stop forever. And then where would you be?

It might be ok if it's like this. 

You don't really believe that. You're fully conscious of how much it hurts. You have been the entire time.

Yeah, but it's a little bit better this way.

I think.

Is this better?

Do I care?

Should I care?

Does it really matter whether I feel better or not?

I think I feel sick.

How long do I have to do this? How long do I have to exist outside of myself?

I don't like it.

I don't like it at all.

This is fucking stupid.

You open your mouth and bite down on your tongue as hard as you can.

A jolt of pain rises up to your brain, and you can see again. You let it go, and your tongue instantly begins to pulse. You stumble and press against the wall, your senses coming back to you all at once. The pain grounds you, nails you to the spot. 

It's not so much it would make you cry, but it's enough to bring you back to the present. Some water drips into your mouth. It doesn't taste like anything. 

I'm thinking too much.

You shake your head and move your hair out of your face.

I shouldn't be thinking about any of this stuff right now. It's all important, but most of it just doesn't matter right now. 

You turn around and turn the handle for the shower, and the water stops. The resulting near-silence is covered up by your own thoughts.

I can deal with all of that crap once this is over and everyone is safe. Have to get my priorities straight.

You open the shower door and step out, shivering at the sudden lack of warmth. You reach around on the bathroom counter for the towel you had left there. Your fingers run over the rim of your glasses, and you quickly put them on, nearly jabbing your eye in the process. 

The towel isn't hard to find after that, and you begin to dry yourself off, trying to distract your thoughts with the feel of the towel. It's not working out so well.

I guess I have to go talk to them once I get out of here.

After drying yourself off, you summon up your breath garb, the familiar feeling giving you a small sense of comfort. It feels like you haven't been truly clean in ages. You take a deep breath, slowly exhale, and steel yourself as best you can.

You exit the small bathroom and turn to the left, the main cabin awaiting you. You start to look for Rose or Kanaya as you walk, and spot Rose almost immediately, her nose tucked in a book. Despite her attention being entirely on her book, it appears she heard you approach, and she lifts her head up and meets eyes with you.

You open your mouth to say something, but pause when Rose holds up a finger to her lips. She motions for you to sit down next to her, so you do, quietly. You settle in while trying to not disturb Rose, and turn to look at her. She speaks in a quieter tone than usual, but not quite a whisper.

ROSE: I don't know if you saw, but Kanaya is at the back of the cabin. She's trying to get a nap in before we land, so please try to not make too much noise.  
JUNE: Oh, sure.  
ROSE: How was your shower?  
JUNE: It was uh, good. It was good.  
ROSE: Yes, you don't smell like a medical cabinet anymore, which is good.  
JUNE: I smelled like a medical cabinet? What do those even smell like?  
ROSE: Well, medicine, mostly.  
ROSE: And don't worry, it's not as if you were drenched in the smell. It was only just barely noticeable.   
JUNE: Well, ok then.

She doesn't respond with anything, and looks back to her book. You can't think of anything to say, so you sit in silence for a moment. Right before it becomes unbearable and you blurt out something stupid, she speaks up again.

ROSE: How are you feeling?  
JUNE: Oh! I'm uh. Hm.  
JUNE: I don't really know.  
JUNE: I feel kinda weird, and still kinda bad I think.  
JUNE: But still a lot better than before.  
ROSE: Well, an improvement is an improvement. I'm glad you're feeling better, even if you're not quite feeling 'good' yet.  
JUNE: Aww.  
JUNE: Thanks, Rose.  
ROSE: Of course.

Another dip in conversation.

Crap. I really don't want to just sit here not saying anything while Rose asks me things. It would suck if I made her uncomfortable sitting next to her or something.

Wait, why are we even sitting here on this dumb red jet anyways? Can't I just zap us right to where we need to go like, right away? I shouldn't just do it without asking first, though. I'll see what Rose thinks first.

JUNE: Hey, so I was thinking-

The ringing of a phone interrupts you before you can get down to business. Rose gives you a quick glance before she pulls out her phone, looks at who's calling, and presses a button which silences the ringtone.

ROSE: Sorry about that.  
JUNE: Its ok. Who was it?  
ROSE: Dave. He's called a few times the past couple days, but as we've had much more pressing matters at hand, I've put him on the back burner.  
JUNE: Oh yeah, he mentioned something about that.  
ROSE: He did? When did you get the chance to talk with him?  
JUNE: Oh. Jade, uh, dropped her phone earlier, and Dave called it after that. So I just picked it up.  
JUNE: Also, why didn't you answer him?  
ROSE: There's still more important things going on, such as talking to you right now.  
ROSE: Speaking of, what you were saying?  
JUNE: Right! So-

You're interrupted once more by the same ringtone, and a look of exasperation appears on Rose's face. She quickly covers the speaker, blocking out the sound. She glances at her phone, and looks back at you.

ROSE: He's being unusually persistent. Mind if I take this? I'll be quick.  
JUNE: Sure, go ahead.

Wait, persistent? Didn't he only call you twice?

Rose answers and brings her phone to her ear. There's a bit of chatter that you don't catch from the other side, and a hint of confusion sparks up on Rose's face.

ROSE: He says he wants to talk to you.  
JUNE: Really?  
JUNE: I guess I should talk to him then?  
ROSE: I have no idea what about, but he sounds serious.  
ROSE: As serious as Dave can sound, anyways.  
ROSE: Here.

She hands you her phone, and you slowly bring it up to your ear, uncertain of what this next conversation will bring.

JUNE: Dave?  
DAVE: Hey what's up  
DAVE: First things first don't go anywhere with those bullshit retcon powers  
DAVE: I know you just want to fly off the handle and fix everything yourself but trust me on this one  
DAVE: I have already got this shit all figured out  
DAVE: You don't need to do anything except sit the hell down and chill out until the plane lands

What, really? I don't? 

Oh wait, I didn't say that out loud. Oops.

JUNE: I don't?  
JUNE: So…  
JUNE: What do I do until then?  
DAVE: Maybe like  
DAVE: Eat something while you're waiting  
DAVE: If I've done my math correctly which I absolutely have  
DAVE: You haven't eaten anything in like three days  
DAVE: Which is not exactly super healthy if you didn't know  
DAVE: You're on some shitty Crockercorp plane or something right   
DAVE: They stock those fuckers to the max with snacks and drinks  
DAVE: Branded front to back of course  
DAVE: God fucking forbid you forget who made the processed garbage you're shoving down your throat  
DAVE: Probably worried if their passengers aren't constantly stuffing their faces they might realize how overcharged they were for the tickets   
DAVE: Swear to god it's a miracle none of those things have blown up yet  
DAVE: It'll happen one day I fucking know it  
DAVE: There's gonna be a massive accident that was completely preventable and they're gonna get sued into the ground  
DAVE: If basically that entire company wasn't under Jane's heel I would dedicate all my free time to starting a rival company   
JUNE: Wow, really?  
DAVE: Nah probably not  
DAVE: That sounds like way too much work actually  
DAVE: And I got way better shit to do  
DAVE: Just really hate all the terrible red advertising  
DAVE: Its such an in your face color  
DAVE: Like they're basically screaming at you cause they want your attention so desperately  
DAVE: Even though they're already like eighty percent of the public sector  
DAVE: Like jesus christ can we chill it with the eye searing red billboards for five seconds  
JUNE: I thought you would like the red.  
JUNE: Isn't red like, your whole color scheme?  
JUNE: Even the color you type in is red. It can't be that different!  
DAVE: Nah my red is good  
DAVE: Its like  
DAVE: A cool red  
DAVE: Refreshing and a little exciting but not too much  
DAVE: Whereas the Crocker red will burn your eyes if you stare at it too long  
JUNE: Like doritos…  
DAVE: Like what  
DAVE: How do doritos factor into this  
JUNE: Oh, well, it's just the way you said that.  
JUNE: Your red is cool ranch, and her red is nacho cheese.  
JUNE: Or maybe like, flaming hot cheetos, instead of doritos.  
JUNE: Actually, do doritos have a spicy flavor?   
DAVE: Wow that sure sounds important June  
DAVE: Time to drop everything and figure out if doritos have a spicy flavor  
DAVE: Except wait  
DAVE: Google is a thing  
DAVE: We can find out this critical information literally whenever we want to  
JUNE: Jeeeeeez.   
JUNE: Can't a gal just ask a simple question?  
DAVE: Yeah ok anyways  
DAVE: What were we talking about   
JUNE: I think-

Before you can follow through with your statement, you hear some loud yelling and crashing noises from the other end of the call. It sounds like someone is struggling with Dave for the phone. That, or there's a very intense slap fight going on. Just as soon as it started, though, it's over, and someone other than Dave begins to speak.

KARKAT: FUCKING CHRIST  
KARKAT: JUNE ARE YOU THERE  
JUNE: Karkat!   
JUNE: You're there with Dave?  
KARKAT: YEAH I AM AND HE-  
KARKAT: *NO, I'M NOT GIVING IT BACK*  
KARKAT: *FUCK YOU*  
KARKAT: HE IS BANNED FROM ANY AND ALL PHONE CALLS UNTIL YOU THREE GET HERE  
KARKAT: BECAUSE APPARENTLY IT IS JUST TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR HIM TO IMPART SOME NECESSARY INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER  
KARKAT: I'LL DEMONSTRATE HOW TO DO THAT VERY THING RIGHT NOW JUST SO YOU SEE HOW EASY IT IS  
KARKAT: LISTEN UP JUNE CAUSE HERE'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN  
JUNE: Oh, alright.  
JUNE: I'm all ears!  
KARKAT: YOU WILL WAIT PATIENTLY ON THAT PLANE UNTIL IT ARRIVES AT THIS AIRPORT   
KARAKT: WHICH IS CURRENTLY WHERE WE ARE BY THE WAY  
KARKAT: WE WILL SAY GOOD THINGS ABOUT YOU SO YOU FEEL BETTER  
KARKAT: MAYBE EVEN A FEW HUGS IF YOU'RE FEELING DARING  
KARKAT: DAVE WILL THEN GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF TODAY WITH YOU PLUS ROSE AND KANAYA   
KARKAT: THE FOUR OF YOU WILL THEN TRAVEL TO THE LOCATION OF YOUR RIDICULOUS BLUE SHITSTORM  
KARKAT: AFTER THAT YOU WILL DO SOMETHING THAT FIXES IT  
KARKAT: AND WE ALL LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER  
KARKAT: SEE? HOW FUCKING HARD WAS THAT?  
JUNE: Wow. You sound pretty confident about all of that.  
KARKAT: YEAH, OF COURSE I AM. IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED FOR ME  
JUNE: What do you mean?  
KARKAT: YOU-  
KARKAT: NO. NOPE, NOT DOING IT  
KARKAT: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PAIN IN THE ASS TO EXPLAIN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, SO I'M JUST GOING TO HAND THE PHONE BACK TO DAVE.  
KARKAT: *YOU ARE OFFICIALLY UNBANNED.*  
KARKAT: *HERE*

The other end goes silent for a moment before you hear Dave start talking again. Rose, who has been listening the entire time, raises an eyebrow, possibly wondering when the call will finish.

DAVE: I'm back  
JUNE: Hi Dave.  
DAVE: Yeah hey so I don't know why Karkat gave me back the phone   
DAVE: I've got basically nothing else to say  
DAVE: Dude covered all the bases pretty well   
DAVE: So I guess I'll just give you a recap on what to do   
DAVE: Except I won't because your job is to not do anything remember  
DAVE: So don't try and hijack the jet or anything cause you're impatient or something  
DAVE: And especially don't use your nonsense fucking retcon powers cause that would just be a major pain in the ass   
DAVE: Seriously I don't want to see any zapping or ghostly arm phasing of any kind  
DAVE: You sit your ass down and stay as corporeal as you possibly can alright  
JUNE: Ok jeez, I'm not going to.   
DAVE: Ok cool  
DAVE: So yeah that's pretty much it  
DAVE: Eat some food and drink some water  
DAVE: Lay down for a bit  
DAVE: Just chill out for a while you get the idea  
DAVE: See you soon  
JUNE: Ok, bye Dave.

You press the end call button and hand the phone back to Rose, who quickly slides it back into her pocket. She looks at you for a moment before saying anything.

ROSE: So.  
ROSE: That's that.  
JUNE: Yep.  
ROSE: What was it Dave said about those Crocker sweets? I didn't quite catch that part.  
JUNE: Oh, there's apparently a bunch of Crocker branded food on every one of their planes, including this one.  
ROSE: That's news to me.  
JUNE: Really? What have you been eating instead?  
ROSE: Not much of anything, I'm afraid.  
JUNE: Oh. That sucks.

Rose looks away for a moment, leaving you with a small window to contemplate what to do next. It doesn't take long to come to a conclusion.

JUNE: So uh, I guess,  
JUNE: Do you wanna look for food?

She looks back at you, and a playful smile breaks out on her face.

ROSE: I would like nothing more than to break this thing apart from the inside in search of packaged consumables.  
JUNE: Then let's get to it!

The two of you stand up and immediately begin a scavenger hunt for snacks.

\-----

You step out of the gate and enter into the massive terminal of an airport you've never been to before. Rose and Kanaya come out right behind you, choosing to stay as close as they can without stepping on your heels. It's not much of a problem for you, given how slow you're walking. The jet landed barely a minute ago, but the three of you rushed to get off as soon as you could. The rush tired you out much quicker than you thought it would, though.

The terminal is completely empty, deserted by any and all people, passengers and airport employees alike. Nobody is there to greet you as you exit, and the silence is palpable. You gaze at the vast emptiness before you, and it occurs to you that whoever was here before was given ample time to leave. There's no stray luggage, no messes caused by a rushed evacuation, no signs of struggle or conflict. There are simply no people here, nor have there been for a while.

What's going on?

JUNE: Why is there nobody else here?

Rose steps out from behind you, seemingly not bothered by the lack of people.

ROSE: Did we not tell you? Jane cleared out this wing of the airport ahead of time. A meeting of half of Earth C's gods in a public space is a recipe for disaster if everyone knows about it, which everyone does.  
ROSE: So, she opted to prevent any potential public mishap by exercising the power of her massive multinational corporation, as well as her own authority as a deity in order to temporarily clear this place out.  
ROSE: Sorry for not mentioning it sooner, I actually forgot she had done that until the moment we arrived.  
JUNE: Oh, it's alright.   
JUNE: Man, sometimes I forget just how much reach Jane's got. I probably shouldn't be that surprised she can do something like this, haha.

Jeez. I'm out for a few days and I forget everything I think I've learned in the past few months.

You continue to slowly walk out from the gate, looking around the terminal all the while. 

I guess I shouldn't be that surprised that there isn't even anyone manning the little food stores everywhere. It's not like I go to airports often, or ever, but I don't think I've ever seen one of those empty before. 

Kanaya seems to be looking around just as much as you, if a bit quicker.

KANAYA: Where Are They  
KANAYA: I Don't See Karkat Or Dave Anywhere  
ROSE: Oh, they'll show up soon.  
ROSE: I have a feeling we won't have to wait long.  
JUNE: How can you tell?  
ROSE: Well-

As if to provide an answer to your question, a dim flash of red and white light shoots out from a spot that's barely fifteen feet away from the three of you. In that spot is Dave, his timetables floating by his sides, as well as two others. Karkat, an annoyed look on his face, and Roxy, who looks delighted to be here. It only takes them a second to notice you.

ROSE: There you have it.  
JUNE: Hey Dave!   
JUNE: I see you brought Karkat, and… Roxy! Hey guys!  
ROXY: heeeeeyyyyyy  
ROXY: im here!  
ROXY: and also loudguy mcyellsalot too  
DAVE: Yeah I did a little roundup of all our pals before I travelled back here  
DAVE: Took turns asking who wanted to come back and cheer you on before the big moment   
DAVE: Obviously Rose and Kanaya are already here and I was coming anyways  
DAVE: But uh  
DAVE: Yeah here's who we got  
KARKAT: DON'T ASK ME WHY I'M HERE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I SPENT SO MUCH TIME BEING STRUNG ALONG BY DAVE'S ANTICS JUST TO END UP HERE  
KARKAT: LIKE, WOW, IT'S JUNE! AMAZING! IT SURE WAS WORTH IT TO UPROOT MY ENTIRE PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND TO COME AND SAY HI!  
KARKAT: I CAN JUST TALK TO YOU AT ANY POINT IN MY PRESENT WITH NO ISSUE. YOU'RE NOT IN A COMA OR HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE FROM SOME MYSTERY FUCKOFF DISEASE, YOU'RE JUST DOING WHATEVER THE FUCK IT IS YOU DO.  
KARKAT: IT IS STUPID HOW NOT HARD IT IS TO TALK TO YOU IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. PRACTICALLY ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS TALK TO PEOPLE AFTER THIS THING YOU DO  
ROXY: its true  
KARKAT: YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THIS, BUT I LITERALLY TALKED TO YOU RIGHT BEFORE WE CAME HERE. YOU CALLED ME UP, CHATTED MY EAR OFF FOR TWENTY MINUTES, LAUGHED YOUR GOOFY ASS LAUGH, AND THAT WAS IT.  
KARKAT: NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, YOU ALREADY KNEW I WAS GOING TO SHOW UP HERE, SINCE YOU'RE RIGHT HERE. FUCK, THIS WAS SO OBVIOUS THAT I FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE MORON FOR NOT CATCHING EARLIER.  
KARKAT: I PRACTICALLY HANDED THAT ONE TO YOU ON A SILVER PLATTER. GOD.  
JUNE: Hahaha, thanks for giving me that prank idea Karkat, and also future me!   
JUNE: Good to know I'm still in the prank game even after my whole windy mind adventure happens.

A small pressure suddenly rises in your chest, and you let out a few coughs. It instantly draws the attention of everyone present, but you know it wasn't that bad compared to what you've had in the past. Determined to not let that sour the mood, you attempt to change the topic, even if what you're trying to do ends up being obvious.

Before you get the chance though, Kanaya changes it for you.

KANAYA: Yes This Is All Wonderful But Can We Please Go Sit Down Somewhere Before We Continue This Conversation  
DAVE: Yeah that's probably a good idea  
DAVE: There's cushy ass seats everywhere so let's go sit on the closest ones we can find  
JUNE: Sounds good to me.

The rest agree, and it only takes a few moments to walk over to a couple rows of seating that face each other. You, Dave, and Roxy sit on one side, while Kanaya, Karkat, and Rose sit on the other. After everyone settles in, you think of a question you've been wanting to ask for a couple minutes.

JUNE: So, we've got almost half the crew here, but what about everyone else?  
JUNE: Don't get me wrong, I wasn't even expecting you guys to be here, so thats awesome, but uh, why was it that Roxy and Karkat came here and not someone else?  
DAVE: Oh that's pretty simple  
DAVE: I dragged Karkat here cause he doesn't get outside enough  
ROXY: and i came cuz i wanted 2 see u! and cuz Callie thought it would b a good idea  
ROXY: we havent talked in like over a week from ur pov and thats just way 2 long  
ROXY: and also more importantly  
ROXY: im ur friend :)  
JUNE: Aww. Thanks, Roxy.

Without a warning, he lunges forward and locks you in an embrace, much tighter than his usual hugs. A squeak of surprise escapes you, but you quickly accept it and hug him back. After a couple seconds, he breaks it off, and you continue your questions, feeling slightly rejuvenated.

JUNE: So! What about everyone else?   
DAVE: Yeah about that  
DAVE: I'll get the obvious ones out of the way first   
DAVE: Terezi and Vriska are pretty caught up in their own stuff and I don't think anybody will really be surprised by that  
DAVE: Far as I'm concerned it's back to normal for them and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing  
KARKAT: SAME.

A look of understanding passes through the faces of everyone present, save for yourself.

JUNE: What do you mean? Doesn't that kind of sound like a big deal?  
KARKAT: OH, RIGHT.   
DAVE: Yeah I keep forgetting you were never really that in on the whole dynamic between them  
JUNE: Well, I know they were a big part of the meteor journey you were all on, and that some stuff happened to them in the past.  
JUNE: But yeah, I never really knew more than what Vriska told me when we were a lot younger. I mostly forgot a lot of the details, haha.  
DAVE: That sounds about right  
DAVE: But yeah it's not my place to speak or anyone's really so I'll just give you a very brief idea of how it goes with them  
DAVE: There is something important that happens  
DAVE: They have a back and forth about it for a few weeks  
DAVE: Its always kinda dramatic but usually not more than it ordinarily is  
DAVE: Then they come to some conclusion or they don't and the issue is settled  
DAVE: And then we wait for the next thing to come up  
KARKAT: WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS DOZENS AND DOZENS OF TIMES ON THE METEOR, AND WHILE IT'S WEIRDLY COMFORTING TO SEE THEM PULL THEIR STANDARD SCOURGE ROUTINE SO SOON AFTER COMING BACK, IT DOES MEAN THEY'LL BE OUT OF COMMISSION FOR A WHILE.  
KARKAT: WHAT MATTERS HERE IS IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU  
KARKAT: THAT'S JUST KIND OF HOW THEY ARE.  
JUNE: Well, that makes sense to me.  
JUNE: So, what about the rest of the alphas, then? Jane, Dirk, and Jake aren't here either.

Both Roxy and Karkat roll their eyes at the same time, almost as if on cue.

DAVE: Jane thinks she's already done a lot for you which I guess she has  
DAVE: That jet ride and airport terminal free of bystanders didn't come from nowhere  
DAVE: And she's supposedly pretty busy and all that   
DAVE: So yeah

Roxy doesn't say anything, but his expression tells you he doesn't quite agree with Jane's decision. 

DAVE: Jake was  
DAVE: Man  
DAVE: I don't even want to try to think about whatever the fuck the deal was with him  
DAVE: He was in some kind of mood that was probably unrelated to you   
DAVE: So I wouldn't worry about it  
JUNE: Er, if you say so.  
JUNE: Then, what about Dirk?

You catch Roxy smirking just before the expression disappears.

DAVE: Dirk was still going over info that he got from alternate future him slash alternate future you which he thinks is pretty important   
DAVE: Important enough to spend all his time on apparently  
JUNE: Oh, that usb drive I gave him! Yeah, that makes sense.  
JUNE: So that's almost everyone. That just leaves…  
JUNE: Callie! What about them?

Roxy raises his hand and waves it around a bit before speaking up.

ROXY: i can take this 1  
ROXY: after Dave filled me in on what was goin on i asked Callie 2 come with us but 4 some reason they didn't think it was a good idea  
ROXY: like for them specifically   
ROXY: Callie was pretty chill abt it honestly?   
JUNE: Really?  
ROXY: yea like  
ROXY: they kinda seemed like everything was gonna b fine which i guess is true  
ROXY: may b im just not giving them enough credit  
ROXY: felt like they wanted me specifically to go and not the both of us  
ROXY: so i just said ok Callie w/e u say  
JUNE: Huh.  
ROXY: yea thats p much it  
JUNE: ...Huh.  
ROXY: what   
JUNE: Oh, uh, nothing. I'm just being stupid.  
DAVE: Oh c'mon June just say what you wanna say  
JUNE: Bluhhhhh, it's so dumb though.  
JUNE: I feel like a doofus for even thinking like this.  
KARKAT: YOU KNOW NONE OF US GIVE A SHIT IF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING IS STUPID, RIGHT?   
KARKAT: STUPID SHIT IS PRACTICALLY OUR FUCKING DAY TO DAY. NOTHING YOU COULD SAY WOULD EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE ABSURDITY WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS  
KARKAT: ALSO I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH YOU GOING BACK AND FORTH FOR LIKE TEN MINUTES OVER WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY SPEAK OR NOT SO JUST FUCKING SAY IT

Rose glares at Karkat for a moment, but says nothing, concealing her expression quickly after.

JUNE: Ok fine! I'll say what I was thinking, jeez.  
JUNE: I kinda had this idea that all of this weird crap happening to me was because of something?  
JUNE: And yeah I know most things happen because of reasons, but that's not really what I mean.  
JUNE: Like, maybe there was something that happened a while ago that didn't seem like a big deal, but actually resulted in this whole chain of events going down.  
JUNE: Or that this stuff was going to happen eventually regardless of any of us doing anything, for some reason that nobody really knows about?  
JUNE: Or that like, this is directly happening to me specifically because of something I did, or...

Oh wait, I can't tell them it's cause I think I deserve it, they'll totally make it into this whole thing. I have to make something up before they start to worry. What the hell do I say?

JUNE: Or, well, maybe it's cause of my retcon powers possibly. I, uh. I don't really know.   
JUNE: But I guess I was worried that we need to figure out why it happened or else something bad like it might happen to someone else.  
DAVE: I don't really know why you were expecting that stuff specifically but I don't really blame you for thinking that way  
JUNE: You don't?  
DAVE: Nope  
DAVE: There probably is some garbage post-game aftereffect or bullshit space god that's making your complete mind self manifest but it doesn't actually matter at all  
DAVE: Sometimes stupid and bad shit happens because it was going to happen and we just have to ride it out like we always do  
DAVE: This is that kinda situation  
DAVE: Except instead of stupid and bad shit this is smart and incredible shit because now it's us doing it  
DAVE: The whole chilling in an airport for a while before getting things moving again situation is what I was talking about  
DAVE: This isn't anything more than a few dudes going to see their non-dude friends and hanging out a while  
DAVE: Pretty regular shit really if you ignore the actual reasons we're here  
ROSE: I take it the vast, empty airport terminal is also standard fare to you?  
DAVE: Oh yeah definitely  
DAVE: Practically a staple of awful hallmark romance movies is the climax where the two lovestruck idiots meet up at an airport   
DAVE: They run towards each other while generic music plays  
DAVE: One catches the other in their arms and the rest of the people there gradually fade away as the camera closes in on the people that actually matter  
DAVE: Really we're just cutting out the middleman and removing all the extras right away  
DAVE: Course our lives aren't a fucking movie so instead we're just sitting here and talking like regular ass people  
ROXY: yknow Dave it kinda sounds like youve watched a lotta terrible romance movies  
ROXY: have u  
DAVE: Yeah obviously  
DAVE: Who do you think I spend all my fucking time with

Both Roxy and Rose open their mouths to say something, but Dave doesn't stop, providing them with no break in the conversation to insert their answers.

DAVE: Don't answer that  
DAVE: I think it's pretty obvious that that was a rhetorical question we all know the answer to  
KARKAT: YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ABILITY TO MAKE ANY TYPE OF CONVERSATION, NO MATTER THE ACTUAL TOPIC, ABOUT YOU OR ME  
KARKAT: IF HALF OF THAT EQUATION DIDN'T INVOLVE ME, I WOULD SUSPECT YOU OF NARCISSISM  
ROSE: Oh, don't worry Karkat. I'm already far ahead of you.  
ROSE: Though I've long since abandoned playing armchair psychiatrist for my friends and family, there was a time when I thought his apparent narcissism and overconfidence was a defence mechanism to protect his soft mental underbelly.  
ROSE: Of course, most of it was just throwing as many diagnoses at the wall until something stuck, but I do think there was a sliver of accuracy somewhere in there.  
DAVE: Oh sure go ahead and lay out my whole shit in front of everyone why don't you  
DAVE: This is why having siblings was a mistake   
DAVE: You see what kinda shit humans have to deal with babe

Karkat's eyes widen immediately and a bright shade of red rises to his cheeks as he tries to sputter out his next few words.

KARKAT: YOU-  
ROSE: Babe?  
KANAYA: Babe  
ROXY: BABE?!?!?!?!?  
DAVE: I-  
KARKAT: OH MY FUCKING GOD.  
DAVE: Ok listen I can explain-

Rose reveals a merciless smile as the five of them descend into pandemonium. Karkat is already shouting, Dave is fumbling over every single word he's saying, Kanaya is poking and prodding the two of them with questions, and Roxy is making as many wild conclusions from this as he can. 

Before you even realize it, you're laughing much harder than you did earlier today. You can't get over how ridiculous this whole situation is, and specks of water appear at the edges of your eyes, from the hilarity alone. You don't even know what exactly is so funny, but you can't stop yourself. Your laughter now feels so much better than it did just a few hours ago.

\-----

KARKAT: I'M GOING TO GO GET SOME THING TO EAT  
ROSE: I'm sure you are.

After five consecutive minutes of everyone poking fun at Karkat and Dave for apparently being in a very obvious relationship to everyone but you, Karkat has decided to escape. He's already out of his chair, and while his tone of voice is the same as it usually is, the tips of his ears are a brighter red than you've ever seen them. Surprisingly, Roxy also springs out of his seat and bounds over to you just a moment later.

ROXY: sounds like good idea  
ROXY: mind if June and i get some stuff of our own  
KARKAT: I DON'T THINK WE NEED THREE WHOLE FOOD CARRIERS, BUT SURE, WHAT DO I CARE. BRING EVERYBODY ELSE ALONG WHY DON'T YOU.  
KARKAT: I CAN'T GET A SINGLE FUCKING MOMENT'S REST WITH YOU PEOPLE.  
ROXY: nah its just gonna b me n June   
ROXY: were gonna go get some chips or w/e and hang out 4 a bit on our own  
JUNE: We are?  
ROXY: yup  
JUNE: Oh, well alright I guess.  
KANAYA: Are You Sure  
ROXY: yea definitely now let's go

Before you can think, Roxy tugs you out of your seat by your hand, and you're following him along, away from everyone else.

JUNE: Woah, ok! Be back soon!  
KANAYA: Okay

The two of you make quick progress towards one of the many abandoned food stalls lining the walls. Roxy looks back at you, and upon seeing that you're walking along as fast as him, let's go of your hand. He slows down a bit, and after only a few moments of walking, the two of you arrive at what appears to be a stall that has a large selection of snacks. 

It looks like most of them are chips, but you aren't given much of a chance to peruse the selection before Roxy grabs one and tosses it to you before grabbing one for himself. He quickly sits on top of the counter of the food stall, and invites you to sit beside him by patting the space right next to where he just sat.

You oblige, and snap open your mystery bag after you sit down. Roxy does the same, and you both try out whatever Roxy picked up for a while. You think this is some kind of non-Crocker branded food, which while common, are becoming increasingly lower in supply, at least in the Human Kingdom. After a few moments of relative silence, save for the loud crunches of the chips, you speak up.

JUNE: Hey, can I ask something?  
ROXY: mhm  
JUNE: Why did you take me away from everyone else? Was there some super secret thing you needed to tell me about the future?   
ROXY: lmao  
ROXY: no obv not  
ROXY: i did it so the wifes   
ROXY: wifes? wives? wives  
ROXY: so the wives could have a little bit of time to just chill w/o worrying abt u  
JUNE: Worrying about me? They're worried even when I'm right there next to them?  
ROXY: yep  
JUNE: Really? Huh.  
JUNE: I guess I appreciate it and everything, but it does feel like they're kind of babying me a little.

Roxy pops a chip into his mouth and starts to talk while chewing on it.

ROXY: man thats not it  
ROXY: theyre not babying u theyre trying 2 make sure u dont pop out of reality cuz u got freaked out at smth  
ROXY: so they figured they gotta keep u as relaxed as possible, least until this whole deal is over  
ROXY: believe me, both a those 2 were stressed outta their MINDS when they called me  
JUNE: Both of them?  
ROXY: yea Rose called me before u woke up and of course Kanaya was also there so i talked to both of em  
JUNE: I guess I can see Kanaya getting pretty worried about all of this, but Rose too?  
JUNE: She seems like she's pretty calm about this stuff, and things are totally under control.  
ROXY: lol no  
ROXY: girl puts on a pretty good poker face but shes probly way more freaked out abt ur whole deal than Kanaya is  
ROXY: looks like shes relaxed a bit since u woke up tho  
ROXY: but trust me she was like  
ROXY: suuuuper not ok when u were still out of it  
JUNE: Really?  
ROXY: yup  
ROXY: once all this is over and things go back to normal u should ask her abt it  
ROXY: not that she would actually tell any1 lol  
JUNE: Huh?  
ROXY: well   
ROXY: yknow what now that i think abt it  
ROXY: mayb she actually would b honest n shit  
ROXY: uve been friends with her since u were like tiny babies rite  
JUNE: A little older than that, but yeah, it's been a long time.  
ROXY: yea thatll help  
ROXY: n u kno what else would help her spill the beans  
JUNE: Hm?

Roxy turns to directly face you, a sly, wide grin on his face.

ROXY: a kiss ;)  
JUNE: Wh-

Howthehelldoesheknowaboutthatwhatthefuck!

You blubber out a few sounds which don't quite count as words in an attempt to convey your confusion. You completely fail to say anything coherent, and pause for a moment to gather your thoughts before continuing.

JUNE: How do you know about that!!!  
ROXY: lmfao June  
ROXY: u get me everytime   
ROXY: ur sis told me a bit ago how u came over to her place n looked like u got trampled by a small horde of lesbians  
ROXY: ones with suspiciously green and purple lipstick  
ROXY: effin hilarious  
JUNE: Dang it, Jade! You were supposed to keep that a secret!  
JUNE: Ok, I don't think I actually asked her to not tell anyone, so it's not really her fault, but still!

You shake a fist in the air menacingly, showing how determined you are to get your revenge, fake as it may be. You can already envision what kind of prank you could easily set up in her lab when she's away. Something with a pie maybe, or a particularly annoying cat sound effect. That would do perfectly.

Then you think about how Jade blew up at you earlier today, and all your enthusiasm goes out the window. Your fist unclenches and falls kind of pathetically on your thigh.

ROXY: lol yea  
ROXY: but forreal  
ROXY: whatevers goin on with u 3  
ROXY: u dont have 2 tell me anything abt that yet btw  
ROXY: (even tho i rly rly rly want 2 ask)  
ROXY: u got enough on ur plate already  
JUNE: Oh, no, it's fine. I can totally tell you what the deal is with us! I think.  
JUNE: Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not totally sure what's going on with us either.  
JUNE: Just earlier, Rose-  
ROXY: aaaa June shush!!  
ROXY: if u start talkin about all this now im gonna wanna ask you a million questions and i wont have time to give u my super cool present   
JUNE: You've got a super cool present?  
ROXY: yis   
ROXY: just for u  
JUNE: Well, that sounds great! I don't even know what it is, but I'm already excited.

Roxy smiles and turns away from you, taking something out of his sylladex. He breaks the gray bottle he just pulled out of thin air on the countertop to his right, and you see something small and black come out of it. Roxy quickly snatches it up and ceremoniously holds out his hands with the present on them towards you.

It only takes a moment to recognize it as the exact same phone model to the one you lost a few days ago. A small burst of joy sparks from your heart, and you take it, immediately inspecting it.

No way. There's no way it could be...

As you look it over, it becomes apparent that this is not a new phone. All the little scratches, nicks and smudges are familiar to you. You turn on the screen, and a selfie of you and your friends that you took only a couple months ago greets you.

This is my phone! The exact same one! I thought I lost this for good.

Incredulous, you look at Roxy, half expecting this to be a joke, despite the warmth and sincerity on his face.

JUNE: Roxy, how did you…?  
JUNE: No, wait. Before that-  
JUNE: Thank you, Roxy. This is such a crazy good gift, I don't even know what to say!  
ROXY: ur welcome!  
ROXY: i heard u would need a phone since u lost ur last 1, and i thought, y not just make it so she never lost it in the 1st place?  
ROXY: so here u go!  
JUNE: But, how did you even find it? I dropped this thing in such a random place!  
ROXY: well thats the thing  
ROXY: i didnt   
ROXY: there was no way i was gonna look all over the globe for one little phone   
ROXY: so i just kinda pulled it outta nothing instead  
ROXY: idk if this is like  
ROXY: the same 1, or just a copy, or what  
ROXY: but either way its basically the same thing!  
JUNE: Wow. That's pretty impressive!  
ROXY: aw thx  
ROXY: wasnt my hardest reach into the void but it took me like twenty whole minutes 2 get it right   
ROXY: longer than it takes 4 a bag of chips at least lol  
JUNE: Heh, yeah.  
JUNE: Thanks for this, though. I had a bunch of stuff on here I really didn't want to lose.

It does have all that, right? Let's see. Looks like the fingerprint sensor still works just fine. And… yep, all my photos are still here. Man, I haven't actually looked at these in a while, but it would have really sucked to lose these forever just because of a stupid mistake. Which, I guess I would have, if Roxy didn't magic this up for me.

ROXY: hey June  
JUNE: Hm?

Roxy shifts a bit and readjusts himself before continuing.

ROXY: u kno it all turns out fine by the end of this   
ROXY: right?

What? Where is this coming from?

ROXY: like just in case u didnt put it all together yet  
ROXY: u and Jake are so similar about stuff like this that i thought that mayb it slipped by u  
ROXY: so just to make it clear   
ROXY: everything ends up fine  
ROXY: were all good and things mostly go back 2 normal at the end of the week  
ROXY: well. everything is fine like, half a week from now at least lol  
JUNE: Oh.  
JUNE: Yeah, I think I got that part. It took a few times of you and Karkat talking about the very soon to be future before I did, though.  
JUNE: I can be kind of slow sometimes, haha.  
ROXY: ok just making sure  
ROXY: was sitting here and was like  
ROXY: what else have i not done yet that would be bad if i didnt do  
ROXY: and i guess i thought it would be a good idea to remind u abt that  
ROXY: but yeah that was p much it!  
ROXY: hope it helps

He shoves a handful of chips in his mouth, concluding his speech. You turn away from Roxy and face forward, contemplating for a moment. A small smile rises to your lips as you realize what you want to say.

JUNE: Yeah, I think it did help.  
JUNE: Thanks.

Roxy swallows his bite, and barely says his next line before grabbing another fistful of chips.

ROXY: dont mention it

The two of you enjoy the rest of your snacks in silence, and rejoin the group soon afterwards.

\-----

Your head rests against the window of the car door. The cold and hard glass doesn't really bother you that much. Maybe you're just so drowsy that you're not able to notice how uncomfortable you are.

Nah, that doesn't sound right.

Some time after you and Roxy got back to the group, Dave wrapped things up and decided to move things along. He took Roxy and Karkat back to the future, came back to your time, and rented a car which would take you to your final destination. Of course, only after he did that did he realize that he couldn't actually drive, meaning Kanaya would be required to take up the wheel. 

The four of you left around ten minutes ago, and it didn't take you long to relax enough to zone out from the conversation Dave and Rose Are having right now. You pitched in at the start, but you've been feeling drained ever since you woke up on the jet, and your exhaustion has only added up since then.

I guess it makes sense, considering what shape I was in until recently. I keep forgetting I was pretty close to dying for a while. I'm pretty sure I could get away with sleeping for a while, but I am a little worried that I wouldn't be able to wake up if that happened.

Either way, even if you wanted to, you wouldn't be getting much sleeping done, with how much talking is going on. Rose and Dave aren't exactly the loudest speakers out there, but it doesn't matter that much when they're in a small enclosed space with you. You would hear them even if you blocked your ears.

Your eyelids flutter, the lack of energy starting to get to you. The current state you're in feels like a form of purgatory. You're too aware of your surroundings and not deaf enough to fall asleep, but too weak and exhausted to be fully awake. So here you sit, leaning against the window of a car, bored and numb to the passage of time. You know it's not actually been that long since you left, but it may as well have been hours ago with how you feel now.

You catch a glimpse of green through your half closed eyes. It's possible you're already out of the urban area the airport was located in. Not that it makes much difference to you. Your house and neighborhood are, frankly, in the middle of nowhere. It's not like there aren't amenities around, but you're home isn't close to anything even remotely important.

I don't even remember whether I did that on purpose or not.

You hear the shifting of someone's posture to your right. Sounds like Dave is moving around a bit. He quickly resumes talking as he finishes readjusting himself. You know you could ask them to stop talking, but that would be pretty rude, especially considering how long it's going to take to arrive at your destination. 

I'll just have to put up with it. There's no sense in being selfish now. I haven't forgotten what Roxy said earlier, but I can't bring myself to make everyone else uncomfortable for hours just because I'm a little tired. It's not like it's gonna kill me to be awake for a little while longer.

Dave is still talking, and you realize he's being a little louder than he was before. Is he trying to talk to you?

Maybe I should actually try to listen to what he's saying.

DAVE: -don't think so, she's just sitting here all relaxed and shit  
DAVE: Hey June you awake  
JUNE: Hm?

Well, shit. I turn to my right and see Dave looking at me with his phone in his right hand. His left hand was pointing at me in a weird way, but he pulls it back after a second. Was he going to try and poke me to see if I was awake? Haha, come on Dave, that's so silly.

DAVE: Ah shit you were sleeping weren't you  
JUNE: Nope. I would like to be, though.  
DAVE: Why aren't you  
DAVE: Actually don't answer that it's probably obvious  
DAVE: Lets see why wouldn't you be able to sleep  
DAVE: Is the seat uncomfortable  
JUNE: No. Good guess, though.  
DAVE: Ok I guess that's a good thing  
DAVE: Lets see what else  
DAVE: Oh duh it's cause we're constantly fucking talking right  
JUNE: Well, I don't want to say yes.  
JUNE: But that is kind of it.  
DAVE: Ah shit  
DAVE: You know what I actually think I could fix that  
JUNE: No, you don't have to stop talking cause of me. This car trip is already like, super boring, I don't want to make or even more boring.  
DAVE: No I mean  
DAVE: Here

Dave pulls a pair of headphones from his sylladex and plugs them into his phone. He messes with some app on it, and hands them to you. With a small amount of confusion, you take them, looking to Dave for an explanation.

DAVE: Yeah so  
DAVE: If you wanna sleep but can't cause we're too fuckin loud then you can just block us out no problem  
DAVE: Those are noise cancelling so you won't be able to hear shit from us when you've got them on  
DAVE: Don't even gotta listen to anything while you've got them on it just works  
DAVE: But if you do then I've got some relaxing shit on there so you'll be set if you do

Well, you certainly weren't expecting something as convenient as this. You're not one to look a gift horse in the mouth though, so you accept them with no complaints.

JUNE: Wow. Thanks, Dave.   
JUNE: I guess I'll try them out.

The headphones look pretty simple, but even you can tell they're stylish and well made. You put them on, and the cups cover your ears. Instantly, the world goes silent, almost all background noise fading away. You notice you can still hear a few things, like Dave saying something to you, but his voice is way too muffled and distant to understand.

You give him a thumbs up and a light smile, and his mouth closes. He gives you a thumbs up back and turns back to Rose, picking up their conversation again. You turn away from Dave and face forward, letting yourself slouch into your seat cushions. You decide to not play any music since you can barely hear anything at this point. The drowsy feeling returns quickly, this time without being hampered by any nearby sounds.

It doesn't take long for your thoughts to drift. They wander here and there, your eyelids getting heavier all the while. You don't notice your vision fading away as you fall back into the comfort of sleep.

\-----

The atmosphere in the car is tense. After June fell asleep, there's been very little talk between Dave, Rose, and Kanaya. Neither Rose nor Kanaya have spoken in over twenty minutes, each anxious but content to sit in silence, with nothing but the sound of the wind outside to take up the space between them. There's a subtle agreement shared between the three of them to say nothing, but it could be broken with just a single word.

DAVE: So I've been meaning to ask

Kanaya's gaze breaks from the road for a moment, before looking back in annoyance. Rose looks up from the book she's barely been reading, though she doesn't look back at Dave sitting behind her.

DAVE: Do the three of you have like  
DAVE: A thing going on  
KANAYA: A Thing  
DAVE: Yeah a thing   
DAVE: Don't even act like you don't know what I'm talking about   
DAVE: There is totally a thing going on and if I don't ask about it now then when am I gonna get the chance  
ROSE: Do you really need to ask such a question? I would think the answer is obvious given you have knowledge of the future.  
ROSE: It's when you are from, after all.  
DAVE: I'm from like three days in the future alright I only know the important shit  
DAVE: Like how everything turns out in the end   
DAVE: Which is great by the way   
DAVE: The future is perfectly normal from what I can tell  
KANAYA: I Still Doubt The Authenticity Of That Claim But I'm Too Tired To Say Anything About It  
KANAYA: And I Can't Do Much To Refute It At The Moment  
KANAYA: So Whatever  
DAVE: Yeah exactly  
DAVE: More importantly   
DAVE: The deal with you two and June  
DAVE: What's going on with that  
KANAYA: The Deal With Us And June Is That We Are Now Human Dating And We Are Not As Good At That As We Thought   
KANAYA: As It Turns Out Having Only One Significant Romantic Partner For Several Sweeps Did Not Adequately Prepare Us For Another  
KANAYA: For What Its Worth I Doubt We Could Have Foreseen What Was To Come The Day After We Revealed Our Feelings To Her  
ROSE: I disagree.  
ROSE: In hindsight, it should've been obvious, at least to me, that there was a storm brewing under her feet that we were wholly unequipped to deal with.  
ROSE: No pun intended.  
DAVE: Hey slow the hell down  
DAVE: If I knew my question was gonna take us down this route of actual serious shit I wouldn't have said anything  
ROSE: Well, you reap what you sow.  
DAVE: Well yeah I basically asked for this but like  
DAVE: How much of this shit is actually cool for me to hear  
DAVE: Isn't this whole thing something you should not talk about to the random jackass who basically isn't related at all  
DAVE: Not like it makes a difference to me  
DAVE: Any conversation is better than the complete nothing we had before   
DAVE: But I kinda got the feeling that this was some private shit that I would normally not be in on  
ROSE: Usually, I would agree.  
ROSE: Its something I would prefer to only discuss with the individuals involved, but I feel some kind of marginally impartial third party would be helpful.  
ROSE: Its not as if you're particularly invested in the love life of June Egbert.  
ROSE: Or was I mistaken in assuming your sudden question earlier was merely about clearing your boredom?  
DAVE: Yeah no  
DAVE: I could not give two shits whether you two are mackin on June while the rest of us aren't looking  
DAVE: But that was the least boring thing I could think to talk about  
DAVE: So if you need a brick wall with sunglasses to talk at I guess I can fit the bill  
ROSE: Well, there's not much else to do at the moment.   
ROSE: What do you say, Kanaya? 

Kanaya glances at Rose in the passenger's seat next to her and sighs.

KANAYA: I Can't Imagine What A Strider Could Possibly Bring To The Table That Would Be Worthwhile  
KANAYA: But If All Dave Is Going To Do Is Sit Back There And Listen Then I Guess That's Fine  
KANAYA: I Did Actually Want To Discuss This But I Didn't Think We Would Get To Until Later  
KANAYA: So Sure Why Not  
ROSE: Wonderful.  
ROSE: Anything to say before we get into it, Dave?  
DAVE: Nope

Dave settles into the cushions of his seat, and waits for the talking to commence.

ROSE: Now then.  
ROSE: Should you start, or shall I?  
KANAYA: It Seems You Want To Talk About This More So You Go First  
ROSE: Thank you.

Rose captchalogues her book and turns her head towards Kanaya. She keeps in mind that while June has slept through all of this, she still shouldn't raise her voice for fear of waking her up despite the headphones on her head.

ROSE: Firstly, let's go over the most recent events, as they're still fresh in our minds.  
ROSE: I'm not sure the best way to say this, so I'll just state it plainly.  
ROSE: I could have done a much better job at stabilizing June's mental state back on the jet.  
KANAYA: Are You Serious  
KANAYA: You Were Much Better At That Than I Was  
ROSE: I'm quite serious.  
ROSE: I'm not under the impression that our combined efforts were a failure.  
ROSE: But I really could have said to her what I wanted to say in a much more concise manner.  
ROSE: She just looked confused for most of my whole spiel about that fucking tree in a forest metaphor, and I don't exactly blame her.  
ROSE: I worded that entire sequence poorly. In truth, I was just talking about anything that would fill the space until I could find something actually adequate to say that would make her feel better.  
KANAYA: Did You Not Succeed In Doing That  
ROSE: Not really. I gave her a half baked love confession in the middle of all of this when I'm sure she doesn't need any other complicated things to worry about. I highly doubt I actually helped her at all.  
DAVE: Holy shit what  
DAVE: No way you actually confessed to her   
ROSE: Dave.  
DAVE:   
ROSE: As I was saying, what I actually said was ridiculously timed in hindsight.  
KANAYA: Well Its Not As If You Fumbled Your Words Or Anything Like That  
KANAYA: You Said Everything You Meant To In An Articulate Fashion   
ROSE: Even so.  
ROSE: I would have preferred to say it under more ideal circumstances, or at the very least in a more appropriate setting.  
ROSE: I'm not sure why, but at the time it felt like the right thing to say.  
KANAYA: I Believe It Was  
KANAYA: At Least You Managed To Actually Get Your Message Across  
KANAYA: I Felt Like An Antlerbeast In Headlights When June Was Speaking To Me   
KANAYA: I Was Caught Entirely Off Guard By Basically Everything She Said Past A Certain Point  
KANAYA: If You Hadn't Arrived When You Did I'm Not Sure I Would Have Been Any Help At All  
ROSE: And how do you figure that?  
ROSE: From where I was standing, you seemed to be the deciding factor in the ending of her emotional meltdown.  
KANAYA: Well  
KANAYA: Maybe I Was   
KANAYA: She Did Seem To Calm Down After Crying Into My Shirt For Ten Minutes  
KANAYA: But It Was Entirely By Accident On My Part  
KANAYA: I Doubt I Would Have Been Able To Talk Her Down To That Point Like You Did  
KANAYA: If You Weren't There I'm Pretty Sure I Would Have Royally Fucked That Whole Thing Up  
KANAYA: So I Guess   
KANAYA: Thank You For Being There  
ROSE: You're very much welcome.  
ROSE: I still feel you're underplaying your importance at that time, though.  
KANAYA: I Could Say The Same Thing About You  
ROSE: Then, can we agree that it was a team effort, and we both played a part?  
KANAYA: That Sounds Fine To Me

The two take a breather, and Rose notices the sky darkening the closer they get to their objective. Not to the usual grays and light blacks of storm clouds, though. There's a subtle cobalt tinge to the edges of the clouds in the sky. It feels familiar, but she's not exactly sure how.

ROSE: I suppose we should get the other one out of the way.  
KANAYA: What Other One  
ROSE: The other event where the execution of attempting to help June was poor.  
KANAYA: Oh  
KANAYA: I Had A Feeling That Intervention Was Not Going To Go As Well As You Hoped It Would  
KANAYA: But Seeing As Though I Never Thought To Voice My Concerns I Am Just As To Blame For Its Conclusion As Anyone Else  
ROSE: None of us could have predicted that June would react to Dirk's name like that.  
KANAYA: I Know That  
KANAYA: Also  
KANAYA: Are You Absolutely Certain That Dirk Is Not At Fault For At Least Some Of This   
ROSE: Kanaya.  
KANAYA: Yes  
ROSE: How many times have you asked me that?

Kanaya looks back and forth between Rose and the road, not completely focusing on either.

KANAYA: Have You Been Keeping Track  
ROSE: I may have been.  
KANAYA: How Many-  
ROSE: Six times.  
KANAYA: Ah  
ROSE: To answer all seven of your inquiries, no, Dirk is not the root cause of all of June's problems.   
KANAYA: Well You Say That But How Do You Know For Sure  
ROSE: If I thought there was any reason to be suspicious of him, don't you think I would have told you about it by now?  
KANAYA: Yes  
ROSE: Then, there you have it.  
DAVE: Hey hold up a sec what's this about Dirk  
ROSE: Dave, please don't take some wild stance that nobody asked you to just because Dirk is involved.  
DAVE: What no  
DAVE: Dirk is totally the reason for all of this   
ROSE: He is?  
KANAYA: Elaborate 

Dave sits up and leans closer to the front seats.

DAVE: Yeah he told me that he's pretty much the exact reason for this whole blue tornado bullshit   
DAVE: Like he didn't make the whole ultimate whatever happen to June, that just kind of occurred at some point for some reason  
DAVE: But yeah he's totally the dude that made June throw up her whole weird mindstorm which is now consuming the local atmosphere  
DAVE: And before one or both of you get all murderous on his ass just know that he already feels like shit about it and tried to fix it ever since it happened  
DAVE: At least I think he feels like shit  
DAVE: Point is he knows he fucked up and tried to fix it  
KANAYA: That   
KANAYA: Does Not Make It Ok  
ROSE: Well, I suppose this does explain why he's been so determined to fix this particular problem.

Dave hears Kanaya sharply inhale, and considers that it may have been a mistake to bring up this particular piece of information.

KANAYA: Dave  
KANAYA: Would Your Brother Mind If I Broke His Neck Once Or Twice  
KANAYA: Just A Little Bit  
DAVE: I think he would mind yeah  
DAVE: Also wouldn't that hurt  
KANAYA: Oh Please Dave  
KANAYA: I Wouldn't Be Doing It To Hurt Him  
KANAYA: Who Do You Take Me For  
KANAYA: It Would Be A Clean Break With No Chance To Feel Pain  
KANAYA: It Would Be A Good Experience For Both Of Us  
KANAYA: We Could Use It To Relieve Stress  
KANAYA: Like A Calming Massage  
KANAYA: Except Instead Of Healing Him I Will Be Doing The Opposite  
ROSE: Kanaya, please.  
KANAYA: Can I Not At Least Entertain The Idea   
KANAYA: Must Even My Mind Be Relegated By Thoughts Of Peace And Harmony  
KANAYA: Should All Violent Instincts Be Purged From My Thinkpan Before Its Acceptable To Attempt To Find Solutions To Our Problems  
ROSE: Well, I never said that.  
DAVE: You know if I wasn't mostly sure you weren't serious about all of that I would be a little worried  
KANAYA: Who Said I Wasn't Serious  
DAVE: Yeah nice one Kan   
DAVE: This is the part where we all have a good hearty chuckle and go back to being normal sane people  
DAVE: I'll start   
DAVE: Wow Kanaya you sure did say some crazy stuff just now  
DAVE: Good thing you have a sense of humor and it was all in good fun  
DAVE: *Insert hearty chuckle here*  
DAVE: Ok now your turn  
DAVE: Do a laugh  
KANAYA: Ha  
DAVE: Yeah you've got it just do a couple more of those  
KANAYA: Ha  
DAVE: And now one more  
KANAYA: Ha  
DAVE: Amazing   
DAVE: I can't believe we're all so stupidly well adjusted and can deal with our problems with each other in a healthy and productive manner  
DAVE: Which involves zero violence or neck snapping of any kind  
DAVE: Am I right or am I right  
KANAYA:  
ROSE:  
DAVE:  
DAVE: Alright cool glad we're all in agreement

A painful moment of silence passes, and a small bead of sweat runs down Dave's face. He knows nothing bad happens between Kanaya and Dirk in the future, but he feels the need to give him a warning ahead of time anyways. He starts to pull out his phone when he remembers that June is currently hoarding it, using it to listen to his music, with his headphones. 

Before Dave can get unreasonably worked up about that, Kanaya speaks up.

KANAYA: Now That That Particular Thread Is More Or Less Done Being Discussed  
KANAYA: Can I Talk About Another Thing  
ROSE: Of course.  
KANAYA: Right  
KANAYA: So   
KANAYA: I've Only Been Somewhat Aware Of The Actual Cause Of June's Ailment   
KANAYA: You Seem To Have A Much Better Grasp On That Concept Than I Do So I Would Appreciate A Refresher Of Some Kind  
ROSE: I can do that, but I remember explaining this very thing to you after our arrival at Jade's lab a couple days ago.  
KANAYA: You Did Do That  
KANAYA: However It Didn't Really Stick   
KANAYA: I Was More Or Less Mentally Occupied At The Time With Fearing For The Life Of A Friend Turned Romantic Companion Of Indeterminate Status  
KANAYA: Hence Another Explanation Would Be Helpful Since I Am Not Nearly As Tired Or Stressed At The Moment  
ROSE: I suppose I should have expected that.  
ROSE: Let me give you my understanding of things. First-

Before she can continue, Kanaya pumps the brakes and the car abruptly comes to a stop. Everyone is knocked forward, and immediately shoved back in their seats by their seatbelts. After the initial shock of suddenly stopping passes, Rose and Dave look to Kanaya for an explanation.

KANAYA: Sorry About That  
KANAYA: Just  
KANAYA: I Think We're Here

The two of them peer out of the windshield to see what Kanaya is talking about. It becomes clear to them almost immediately. Not so far in the distance, a giant, swirling mass of dark blue wind has formed in the shape of a tornado. It's nearly touching the ground, just a few stories too short. Right at its end is June's house, the roof already blown off.

DAVE: Oh shit  
ROSE: Kanaya, an explanation might have to wait.  
KANAYA: Yes  
KANAYA: Perhaps We Should Get Out Of The Car Now

At once, the three unbuckle and open their car doors, exiting the vehicle. Immediately, wind buffets them, threatening to drag them off their feet. 

Ughhh. My head hurts.

Dave trudges forward against the wind, and stops beside Rose. His shouting can barely be heard over the sound of the gust of air that's assaulting them.

DAVE: So what do we do now  
ROSE: I don't know, aren't you supposed to know that?  
DAVE: No  
DAVE: Future June didn't tell me shit about this part  
ROSE: Fuck.

What's going on? Why did we stop?

Kanaya slowly walks to Rose and Dave, her hand gripping the hood of the car as she does.

KANAYA: Ok Now What  
ROSE: We don't know.  
KANAYA: What Was That  
DAVE: She said we don't know  
KANAYA: What  
ROSE: WE DON'T KNOW!  
KANAYA: Are You Serious  
DAVE: Yep

It sounds like everyone is outside. I guess I'll get out too.

KANAYA: I Can Barely Hear You Over This Wind   
KANAYA: Are June's Powers Usually Like This   
ROSE: Excuse me?  
KANAYA: I Said Are Her Powers Usually-  
ROSE: KANAYA, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.  
KANAYA: I SAID-

Ohhh crap, it's a little hard to stand. This wind is kinda crazy. There we go, two feet on the ground.

DAVE: GOD DAMMIT THIS IS STUPID  
DAVE: JUNE WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO HERE  
DAVE: WE'RE JUST STANDING HERE LIKE A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES  
ROSE: Should we do something about her house?  
DAVE: WHAT  
ROSE: HER HOUSE.  
DAVE: OH YEAH  
DAVE: WHO GIVES A SHIT, IT'S JUST A FUCKING HOUSE  
ROSE: SHE DOES LIVE THERE.  
KANAYA: What Are We Talking About Now  
DAVE: STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU  
KANAYA: Fuck

Woah, its one of those whirlwind things. It's a lot bigger than I remember them being. I feel kinda weird.

KANAYA: DO WE REALLY HAVE TO SHOUT LIKE THIS  
ROSE: IF YOU WANT US TO ACTUALLY HEAR EACH OTHER, YES.  
DAVE: OH SHIT GUYS LOOK  
ROSE: AT WHAT  
DAVE: THE HOUSE DUDE WHAT ELSE

Oh shit, is that my house? Man, it's totally getting wrecked. 

DAVE: THERE GOES THE WHOLE SECOND FLOOR  
DAVE: REST IN PEACE YOU GODDAMN DEATHTRAP  
ROSE: YOU'RE BEING DRAMATIC, DAVE.  
KANAYA: DO YOU REALLY HAVE ANY ROOM TO SPEAK ABOUT DRAMA  
ROSE: TOUCHE.

They're being so loud. Do they not feel this thing? It's like there's this weird pulling sensation.

DAVE: OK WE'RE WASTING TIME  
DAVE: WE NEED TO WAKE UP JUNE SO SHE CAN DO WHATEVER IT IS SHE NEEDS TO DO  
ROSE: THAT WOULD BE GOOD. GO GET HER OUT OF THE CAR, DAVE.

I feel so light. Maybe I should just go over there and see what happens. Maybe I'm supposed to?

DAVE: WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT  
ROSE: WHY WOULDN'T YOU?  
DAVE: WHY WOULD I  
ROSE: DAVE, PLEASE.  
DAVE: FINE

I could totally just let go. The wind doesn't seem so strong anymore. I should trust The Breeze, shouldn't I? Yeah, that's usually a good idea. 

DAVE: WHERE IS SHE  
KANAYA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN  
DAVE: I MEAN SHE'S NOT IN THE CAR  
ROSE: WHY DID WE GET OUT OF THE CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE, THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA  
DAVE: WAIT  
DAVE: HEY GUYS  
DAVE: WHY IS JUNE FLOATING TOWARDS IT  
KANAYA: WHAT  
KANAYA: OH  
KANAYA: OH NO

It wants me to get closer. I don't really know how I can tell, but I know. I can kind of feel it, now. There's that voice at the back of my head again. It's so close.

ROSE: JUNE GET BACK HERE!  
ROSE: DAVE, SHE'S SPEEDING UP!  
KANAYA: SOMEONE GO AFTER HER  
DAVE: WE CAN'T FLY THAT FAST  
KANAYA: YES YOU CAN FLY THAT FAST  
ROSE: GODDAMMIT DAVE!

It would be so easy to just let it take me in. 

DAVE: FUCK

A burst of cold blue air envelops You, and You're pulled into the center of the tornado as Your body turns to mist.

It's nice to see You again, June.


End file.
